While some students traveled to resorts and warm areas to celebrate their Spring Break, some student organizations worked with a non-profit medical group, helped teach high school-level courses and helped clean the environment.
The RevolutionStudents from the religious group went to Pass Christian, Miss., which was hit by Hurricane Katrina to help rebuild damaged properties.
Ball State University Students collaborated with students from Virginia Tech for the voluntary service.
Although it was the third time the organization visited Pass Christian, this was sophomore anthropology major Ben Mahoney's first time helping the community.
"I had done different voluntary services before," he said. "But never anything for the Hurricane Katrina disaster. This experience really broadens your horizons. You don't hear much about Katrina any more, so people think everything is back to normal again, but there is still a lot to do."
Of the 2,700 structures in Pass Christian, only 400 were left after the hurricane passed in 2005, Mahoney said.
"The town major said it will take 12 years for the town to get back to where they were," he said. "And only three years have passed, so there is still a lot to do.
Student Voluntary ServicesStudent Voluntary Services, an organization from Student Life, gathered 13 students to help needy families in St. Louis, Mo. Students helped teach children and parents and worked in food pantries.
Patricia Ceballo, graduate assistant of student voluntary services, said although it was the first time the organization traveled to a large city, the trip was a success.
"Anytime you have the opportunity to give back," she said. "Just in a personal level, it is very rewarding."
Ceballo said students established connections with the community easily.
"People there were very welcoming, she said. "On our second day, they were all smiling, from ear to ear and we had just met."
It is important for college students to participate in community service because they help adults and serve as role models for children, Ceballo said.
"It was good for the younger children to see college students as role models," she said. "Because it helps them believe that just because no one in their family has gone to college before doesn't mean they don't have the chance."
Timmy FoundationSeveral visits to Guatemala have given good results for Ball State's chapter of the Timmy Foundation. A group of about 10 students traveled to the Central American country to help provide health services.
President of the Ball State chapter Michael Suer said the community has reacted positively and results are significant.
"This year we were able to see the fruits of our labor," he said. "We have seen a lot of patients in the past and we see people are getting better health all around just because they are being taken care of constantly."
The organization visits Guatemala four times each year, and this is one of the reasons why several of the patients are improving their health, Suer said.
For sophomore pre-med major Kelly Robertson, it was the first time visiting Guatemala. Robertson said she liked seeing the organization working as a team, helping people who need medical assistance, but can't afford it.
"It was real eye-opening," Robertson said. "I had never gone to Central America but it was a great experience. I was surprised with the amount of poverty, but people seemed really happy and healthy in their majority. I'm a pre-med major, so this experience really strengthened my desire to help people. It also made me see how many people are out there that need my help and that really appreciate it."
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