ENews

Barry students to travel to New Orleans and South Carolina for annual Spring Break Service Project

Barry students will continue the tradition of lending a helping hand - and spreading the Barry mission - to communities in need as 14 Barry students and three staff advisors depart for two Alternative Spring Break (ASB) trips Feb. 28, 2009. The student group is comprised of two freshmen, two sophomores, five juniors and four seniors; their average GPA is 3.32. Six of the 14 students are participating in their second or third trip.

Barry students will continue the tradition of lending a helping hand - and spreading the Barry mission - to communities in need as 14 Barry students and three staff advisors depart for two Alternative Spring Break (ASB) trips Feb. 28, 2009. The student group is comprised of two freshmen, two sophomores, five juniors and four seniors; their average GPA is 3.32. Six of the 14 students are participating in their second or third trip.

The first group of seven students will travel to New Orleans, La. to work with Operation Helping Hands, a rebuilding program of Catholic Charities of New Orleans. Operation Helping Hands was put into place after Hurricane Katrina to aid in the rebuilding efforts so necessary in that region. Students will assist with projects such as dry walling, painting, landscaping and flooring. During the trip, the group has been invited to worship and share a meal with the student community at the Tulane University Catholic Center.

The second seven student group will work with Homes of Hope of Greenville, S.C. The Christian faith-based organization works to build homes for low-income families, while extending drug and alcohol rehabilitation for men by teaching them the contracting trade. This is the second time that ASB has worked with Homes of Hope; they last worked with them in 2007.

Since last spring, ASB members have worked to raise the more than $8,000 necessary to fund their trip. Each participant made a donation and, along with other students who volunteered to help ASB, worked at concession stands in Dolphin Stadium to raise an amazing $4,700. Other funding has been graciously donated by the Vice President of Student Affairs, the Volunteer Center, Campus Ministry, the Office of Student Activities and the Student Government Association. Sodexo Campus Services was kind enough to purchase the group’s t-shirts and donate safety goggles and work gloves for the trips.

Members of ASB ask that the Barry community keep them in their thoughts and prayers while they are traveling and serving less fortunate communities with the organizations they have chosen.