In the past decade, more and more University of Maine students have applied for the opportunity to experience Alternative Spring Break.
What started with 20 students and UMaine community members traveling to South Carolina to spend a week repairing homes of low-income families has grown to a contingent of more than 92 volunteers who this year headed to seven locations nationwide and one international destination.
In March, volunteers worked with the Gesundheit Institute in West Virginia; Plateau Restoration in Utah; Florida Trail Association; Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida; the Nature Conservancy in Georgia; and Habitat for Humanity and Community Collaborations (Hurricane Ike relief), both in Texas. In May, students and an adviser are scheduled to work with International Volunteer HQ in Cusco, Peru.
The Alternative Spring Break Endowment Fund was established in the University of Maine Foundation in 2008. Income from the fund supports Alternative Spring Break functions and trips.
