"I helped build for others what I've taken for granted all my life." Those were the words of a student who took part in the University's first alternative spring break project last March. Using hammers, power saws, good humor and lots of energy, 11 UofH students spent a week laying floors to start the construction of two houses in Raleigh, N.C., for Habitat for Humanity.

Irwin Nussbaum, director of the University's Center for Community Service and associate dean of students, said the center is continually looking for opportunities to get students more involved in community activities.

"Alternative spring break is not unique to the UofH, but it fits nicely with the University's vision of increasing our role in service to the larger community," said Nussbaum. "We wanted to make our first alternative spring break a success, so the location had to be within drivable distance and in a warm climate in order to appeal to students. We advertised the opportunity on campus, and about 17 students responded. We chose 11, because that was all our rented van would hold."

Each student was given a disposable camera and was asked to keep a journal. While the group of seven women and four men included freshmen as well as seniors, most of them were upperclassmen. Participants were Tracy Benemerito, Lisa Berry, Jon Devino, Petra Domingo, Shari Eisenberg, Kristine Flaherty, Alison Peacock, Fred Reynolds, Sabryna Nicolas, and Jeffrey Stead. They were led by resident director Ralph D'Amato. Joel Olzacki '85, '86, '94, a graduate student in the University's doctoral program in educational leadership, helped make arrangements for the work site in North Carolina.

D'Amato, a graduate student in counseling education, said the experience made him a better person. "At first, it seemed like a cool thing to just go down there and help out someone, but once you got into it, you saw what an impact we could make," said D'Amato. "It changed the focus of where I was personally. Now I want to work with Irwin to make Habitat a tradition at the University and to make an impact in the state of Connecticut and internationally."

The project was part of Habitat's Collegiate Challenge program, which began in 1989 as an alternative spring break building program for college and high school students age 16 or older. It has grown into one of the largest spring break programs in the country, offering students the chance to do a wide variety of construction work. Work sites, in both urban and rural settings, are determined by the host's construction needs and geographical location.

The UofH group was joined at the Raleigh project by seven students from Cedarville College in Ohio, leading to an interesting mix of participants. One UofH student wrote that future participants should "be open-minded, because you will meet people from all different backgrounds and lifestyles," and another said, "The best part of the trip was that no one knew one another. The trip gave me five new friends."

All of the students slept in sleeping bags on a carpeted floor in the Hayes Barton Methodist Church in Raleigh and showered at the local YWCA. Each worked on a different task and with a different "crew" every day. Most were using power saws and were shingling a roof for the first time.

As Tracy Benemerito wrote, "One of the most important things I learned was not to get discouraged if you make mistakes -- they can always be fixed. When we finished for the
day, it was always with the completion of a task, so there was a pretty good sense of accomplishment, and I felt pride and a good bond of camaraderie with the people I worked with."

She called the program a win-win situation for all involved -- staff, supervisors, volunteers, homeowners and the community -- and said she would recommend it to anyone who has the ambition to try new things and meet new people.

"I'm very happy and proud to have been a part of this program, and I am sad it is all over," said Benemerito. "In the end, it was the most satisfying thing I've ever done."

Her enthusiasm even sparked an interest in her 13-year-old brother, who joined her this summer volunteering for Habitat for Humanity International at a site in New York City, where they live. Others were inspired too. Lisa Berry will be working with Americorps this fall, and Ralph D'Amato will lead another Habitat project next year.

Based on that kind of response, the Center for Community Service plans to start a Habitat for Humanity student chapter on campus this fall to develop more Habitat projects, particularly local ones. The center will also try to recruit more federal work- study students, since they can earn their financial aid through community service work as well as on-campus jobs.

"We would like to expand our alternative spring break options for students, offering two or three domestic projects and one international project each year," said Nussbaum. "These may not all be Habitat projects. We would like to work with a variety of places that can benefit from community service, such as health clinics and homeless shelters."

The center itself will grow to meet the demands of the expanded program. Debra Cheverino, the center's graduate student administrative intern, will return for the 1999-2000 academic year, and she will be joined by Jennifer Marcic, a 1999 UofH graduate who will work at the center as a full-time Vista volunteer.

An increase in projects also means an increase in transportation needs, and Nussbaum hopes to obtain a van or two for the center so he won't have to rent again. But, no matter how students get to their project sites, chances are they will find the kind of challenge and inspiration at the end of the ride that could change their lives.

 

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