Attention civic movers and shakers! Registration for this year’s Alternative Spring
Break trip to San Francisco, CA is currently open. Spend your spring break learning
a thing or two from this city.
Starting March 21 through March 28 participants will engage in service projects
with partnering organizations dedicated to the themes of food, farming, and
homelessness.
When you think of San Francisco you might picture the Golden Gate Bridge
suspended over a rippling bay, city lights, tourists hitching rides on cable cars up
steep streets, maybe even them 49ers.
But underneath the fog, San Francisco has been battling a chronic homelessness
issue, with the homelessness count staying steady between 5,376 and 6,436 over
the last ten years. On the trip, you will see how partnering organizations like Bay
Area Rescue Mission, Alameda County Food Bank, and Project Homeless Connect
strive to alleviate the hardships that the city’s homelessness population face.
San Francisco has been named the “greenest” city in North America by the North
American Green Cities Index for its strides in environmental policy and
management. Learn about initiatives for sustainable food systems, urban farming,
and food security in this green city. Visit Roots Farm and Healthy Hearts Youth
Garden, the nation’s first clinic-based vegetable garden.
Kelsey Scott, an Anthropology major at SOU who attended last year’s Alternative
Summer Break trip to Guatemala, sees alternative break trips as an opportunity for
students to meet new people through service-learning. “Working as a group with an
organization that has a positive impact in the world is an incredible way to spend
spring break,” Kelsey says of her experience.
The trip fee of $350-$400 will cover the costs of transportation, program fees,
guides, and most food. The costs are low compared to previous years, but if you are
still dismayed, fundraising is a possibility.
Transportation by van allows nine spaces for student volunteers. If you are thinking
about applying, get moving and submit applications by Feb 18. Apply online at:
http://form.jotform.us/form/50146112964147.
