Spring breaking for others
Many students will pack the coasts of Florida, South Carolina and Mexico for spring break two weeks from now, but some Franklin students will forgo the beaches this year to help those in need. to go back and have the same experience."
Two campus groups – Habitat for Humanity and the Religious Life Team – are set to embark on service opportunities in Lexington Ky. and Atlanta, respectively.
Habitat for Humanity is an international, non-governmental, non-profit organization. It receives thousands of applications from people who are wishing for a home. Homeowners are chosen based on their need, their ability to pay back the non-profit through a low mortgage and their willingness to work with the partnership.
Service Learning Coordinator Doug Grant said this upcoming trip will mark the tenth year Franklin students have gone on a Habitat build during spring break and the fourth time in a row to Lexington. Every year over Spring Break, students go to a specified location and work with representatives from Habitat and the people who will eventually own the home.
Junior Alex Siefert went on the trip last year. He said the most memorable part of the trip was being able to work so closely with the people whose home you were building.
"It was cool to meet the future homeowner of the house we were working on," Siefert said. "Just to know how much she appreciated what we were doing. It was a good feeling."
Senior J.R. Fowler, who serves as treasurer of the Habitat chapter on campus, has been actively involved with Habitat for quite some time and said he is looking forward to going on another Habitat trip.
"Last year, going to Lexington was a great experience," Fowler said. "I can’t wait
The week did not just consist of sleeping and working. The students had time to go out to dinner and visit the University of Kentucky’s campus.
The group continues to go to Lexington because the people there are nice and easy to work with. Along with those factors, traveling to and from Lexington and the accommodations available are much more affordable.
Grant said he enjoys trips like these because it builds relationships, while doing good work with Habitat.
"It’s one of my favorite weeks of the year," he said.
Grant said about 20 people went on last year’s trip, and he expects about 15 on the upcoming trip, which students can still sign up for.
Habitat is not the only group on campus taking advantage of the break to help others. The Religious Life team is taking a trip to Atlanta, Ga. to help those in need.
Religious Life takes a trip every year during spring break; last year they traveled to Washington D.C.
In Atlanta they will help out an organization called the Stewart Center, which helps underprivileged and at-risk kids.
While working with the Stewart Center, the group will be doing a variety of odd jobs to help the organization. The various projects will include mild construction, painting and building bunk beds.
During one day of the trip, Religious Life will throw a block party to get the kids excited about the Stewart Center.
Campus Minister David Weatherspoon said he was eager to travel with about 10 students to Atlanta to work at the Stewart Center.
"I live to give people a variety of experience and going to different places and helping out those in need does just that," he said.
