Alternative Spring Break assists Florida communities with hurricane cleanup

Northwest's Alternative Spring Break organization helped restore beaches and surrounding communities impacted by the hurricanes in Sarasota, Florida, which included repairs at a church. (Submitted photo)

After communities and infrastructure on the Florida coast were torn apart by recent hurricanes, 12 members of Northwest Missouri State University’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB) organization stepped up to provide assistance during their spring break. 

ASB partnered with Praying Pelican Missions March 9-14 in Sarasota, Florida, to restore beaches and surrounding communities impacted by the hurricanes. Students helped with beach cleanup, church repairs, and worked on preventative measures for future hurricanes.

Alternative Spring Break partnered with Praying Pelican Missions to make repairs at a church damaged by recent hurricanes and dedicated about 20 hours to painting walls and removing cabinets there. (Submitted photo)

“We were only there for four days, but the amount of work we accomplished would have taken months for the church to complete or even longer to find volunteers,” said ASB President Morgan Jaeger, a senior majoring in business management and marketing from Olathe, Kansas. “Our efforts laid the foundation for future teams, allowing them to make an even greater impact more quickly and support a community that lacks the necessary resources.”

ASB is an immersion program that places teams of college students in diverse cultures and communities to engage in community service and experiential learning during Northwest’s annual spring break week. The program fosters exploration of social justice, economic disparity, and community outreach while helping students develop leadership and critical thinking skills.

In addition to the opportunity to travel and make a meaningful impact in communities, ASB Vice President Madison Lutz, a junior elementary and special education major from Blue Springs, Missouri, enjoyed seeing the results of everyone’s work. The group dedicated about 20 hours to painting walls and removing cabinets at a church.

“During our time there, it felt like we might not be making a significant difference,” Lutz said. “But when we left, we were amazed at how much we had accomplished. It was incredibly fulfilling to realize that our efforts truly made an impact.”

First-year member Emily Rea, a junior mass media major from Kansas City, Missouri, said she learned the importance of service and listening to the experiences of people in the community. 

“This experience opened my eyes to how much I have to be grateful for, and it really showed me the importance of giving back,” Rea said. “It was eye-opening to see the communities struggle with their limited resources, and it inspired me to do what I can to help.”

Founded at Northwest in 2006, ASB annually gives students opportunities to participate in service-learning and volunteer projects within a different environment than their own. The program’s goal is to provide individuals with service opportunities while positively influencing others’ lives. In recent years, Northwest students have traveled with ASB to Wilmington, North Carolina; Washington, D.C.; New Orleans; Jacksonville and Panama City and Rosemary Beach in Florida; as well as Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

During the fall semester, ASB focuses its activities on local needs and encourages student members to accumulate more than 20 hours of service work each semester. Students regularly volunteer at the New Nodaway Humane Society and participate in a variety of cleanup and community improvement initiatives.