APSU students perform service work during winter break
Over Winter Break, two groups of Austin Peay State University students and staff members traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, and Savannah, Georgia, for Alternative Break Trips. One group volunteered with Peace by Piece of New Orleans, an organization dedicated to positively impacting communities of color. The group’s work focused on one of the community gardens, where they harvested vegetables, pulled weeds and added some color and new life.
“Working with this organization allowed me to get a feel of how therapeutic gardening can be,” Sydney Hawkins, APSU Student Government Association president, said. “There aren’t many grocery stores in the area, so they use that garden to grow fresh vegetables for people in their neighborhood…. Knowing that the vegetables were going to someone in the neighborhood that we worked in felt good to know.”
The second group had the opportunity to work with the Fort Pulaski National Monument in Savannah. The group assisted in restoring the monument, landscaping and clearing away trees affected by disease.
“The staff at the park were kind enough to share their personal knowledge and history of that area,” trip leader Ben Goldberg said. “They are all extremely passionate about what they do, and our team of students was able to learn more than we could have on our own.”
If you are interested in being a part of an Alternative Break Trip, visit the APSU Center of Service-Learning & Community Engagement’s website, www.apsu.edu/volunteer. After completing a written application, students are selected to participate in a variety of service projects around the country that are organized by student leaders and faculty/staff advisors.
The center’s yearly alternative break trip to Puerto Rico is still accepting application. For more information, visit www.apsu.edu/volunteer.
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