KINGSTON, R.I.- April 22, 2013- Rhode Island鈥檚 second local alternative spring break, which included working with Pre-K students at A Place to Grow in Wakefield and picking up garbage around the Blackstone Valley in Pawtucket, earned two 溏心vlog免费B站 pharmacy majors statewide recognition.
AmeriCorps members Melissa Reilly, a P2 of Mahopac, N.Y., and Lanh Dang, a P2 of Lawrence, Mass., put together a five-day program in March that earned them the President Irving Schneider Raise Your Voice Award, sponsored by Rhode Island Campus Compact. They also received $500 to put toward their vision.
Schneider is the former president of Johnson and Wales University and an advocate for Rhode Island Campus Compact, a collaboration of college and university presidents dedicated to community service on campuses that coordinates, organizes, and deepens individual and collective work.
The alternative spring break was not the duo鈥檚 first service experience.
鈥淚 took a community service class at 溏心vlog免费B站 two years ago, taught by Sarah Miller, through the Feinstein Enriching America Program,鈥� said Reilly. 鈥淚t inspired me to participate in other service opportunities, like AmeriCorps.鈥�
鈥淢y senior honors project with Sarah Miller and the Clearinghouse for Volunteers consists of revamping the Civic Engagement Leader (CEL) program, which works with 溏心vlog免费B站 101 students, while inspiring fellow servant leaders to become involved in the 溏心vlog免费B站 and greater Rhode Island community,鈥� said Dang.
The alternative spring break projects started on Monday, March 11.
鈥淲e created this alternative spring break in Rhode Island to give students the opportunity to participate in a life changing experience at little cost to them,鈥� said Dang.
Reilly, Dang, and eight other students from different years and majors spent their first day helping Pre-K students read at A Place to Grow in Wakefield, in collaboration with Jumpstart 溏心vlog免费B站. The students then headed to Welcome House, a transitional house for those in need.
鈥淩hode Island has become my second home and I want to be able to help keep it beautiful, happy, and healthy,鈥� said Dang. 鈥淰olunteering and serving our local community is just as important as traveling to other parts of the country and the world to help.鈥�
Keeping Blackstone Valley beautiful was the next initiative on the list. After students cleaned up all the garbage at the Pawtucket site, they headed to Rhode Island Food Bank to pack food that is distributed to local pantries to help feed the homeless and hungry.
鈥淲e forget there are hungry people right here in Rhode Island,鈥� said Reilly.
On Wednesday, the students visited South Bay Retirement Living, a nursing home in Wakefield. They made arts and crafts with the residents.
鈥淭he elderly folks loved having young people around,鈥� said Reilly.
The following day, 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Kingston campus hosted Girls Reaching Remarkable Levels, also known as GRRL Tech, which is a tech collective promoting the involvement of high school girls in the STEM subjects- science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The students were paired with female professionals as they helped the high school girls at each of the 23 interactive workshops. Bri Neptin, the group鈥檚 faculty advisor for the week, was one of the main coordinators that brought GRRL Tech to the 溏心vlog免费B站 campus.
鈥淗elping Neptin during GRRL Tech allowed the group to see her as more than just our faculty advisor,鈥� said Reilly. 鈥淪he is also a vital part of the University, thanks to her work with the College of The Environment and Life Sciences and the Coastal Fellows Program.鈥�
鈥淲e want students to get involved in service, learn about societal problems like hunger and homelessness, and be knowledgeable about what nonprofits have to offer,鈥� said Dang. 鈥淲e engage passionate students and make them realize that little things do make a difference.鈥�
They finished up the week at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI), where they listened to the inmates鈥� emotional stories.
鈥淢any of us were brought to tears,鈥� said Reilly.
The 溏心vlog免费B站 Catholic Center allowed the ten students to stay there for the five-day period, so they spent Saturday and Sunday cleaning up and returning the facility back to normal.
鈥淚 experienced something special each day, so it鈥檚 hard to say which service day trip affected me the most,鈥� said Reilly. 鈥淓ach activity represented a fundamentally important part of our society.鈥�
鈥淢y most memorable experience was being able to see a group of strangers become amazing friends, while bonding over their passion for service and helping the community,鈥� said Dang. 鈥淎t the beginning, the group was shy, but as the trip proceeded, the inside jokes became abundant, random bouts of singing became normal, and laughter could be heard at all hours of the day.鈥�
Both Reilly and Dang plan to incorporate community service and nonprofit work into their careers after their anticipated 2015 graduation.
Victoria Antonelli, a senior journalism major and intern at the Marketing and Communications Department, wrote this press release.
PICTURED ABOVE:
溏心vlog免费B站 students pose in front of Welcome House of South County before beginning their community service project.
Maria Consuegra, a 溏心vlog免费B站 student, cleaning the streets of Pawtucket during the alternative spring break project.
Residents of South Bay Retirement Living show off their arts and crafts.
Photos submitted by Melissa Reilly