May 2002

Faith, Service, and Spring Break

Students Flock to Florida to Spend Their Time Learning the Value of Service

By Sara Ortega

Jacquelyn Danek has grown accustomed to the academic drills of college, but for the first time as a GW student, she faced a seemingly insurmountable undertaking — constructing two homes in only one week. Joined by dozens of other student volunteers, Danek substituted traditional Spring Break libation and relaxation for an alternative celebration of the human spirit.

Spring Break customarily invokes the image of a seven-day tropical fest accentuating false tans and neon swimwear, but 17 undergraduates from the Newman Catholic Student Center, including Danek, swapped the traditional spring break revelry with roofing, siding, and landscaping. Combining their free time and untapped technical skill, they traveled south to Jacksonville, FL under the guidance of Father Rob Panke to join a service program linked with Habitat for Humanity. Working alongside other volunteers from Ohio University, Johns Hopkins University, and New England College, as well as with local aid groups, they erected two houses over the week-long vacation.
Human services major Shannon Tobin initiated the University’s first Alternative Spring Break in November 2000 while preparing a Thanksgiving service project and celebration.

“There was already a Habitat for Humanity student organization on campus, but I thought we could use something different,” Tobin says. “Most projects like ours don’t involve denominational themes, so I thought this was a good opportunity to bring faith and service together.”

The Newman Center, the headquarters for Catholic spiritual and social support, hosts other community outreach programs throughout the year such as Good Samaritan Ministry, St. Paul’s Grate Patrol, Exodus Youth Services, and Generation Christ.

Student volunteers needed $8,000 to subsidize the mission to Florida, so they solicited family, friends, and University sponsors. Contributions from personal contacts financed the majority of expenses, and the remaining funds came from GW’s Student Association, the Resident Housing Association, the Newman Center, St. Stephen’s Church parishioners, and World Bank and Pan American Health Organization employees. The Office of Community Service donated money for bottled water and disposable cameras.

Once arriving in Jacksonville, they surveyed the task before them. More daunted by the substandard residential neighborhood than by their lack of construction know-how, they unreservedly leaped into the project. Grabbing a hammer and nails, the students rose at 7 am each morning, worked an eight-hour day, and concluded every session with a brief Mass at a local warehouse.

“I know that a lot of us had the mentality that we needed to build the house as if we were going to live in it,” says Danek. “We wanted to make sure that everything was done perfectly, but that was difficult having no experience in any of the tasks.”

Although hesitant to measure their efforts against other professional construction projects, a state inspector’s daily approval still signaled a job well done before the group’s return home.

Some students met future home owners, including one gentleman working with the service group to help build his future castle. His joy and unlimited appreciation for their dedication touched the volunteers. Many students recalled a woman on Habitat for Humanity’s wait list, the conditions of which stipulate eight hours of service on any other Habitat project. A single woman raising four grandchildren, she too was eager to help those confronted by challenging circumstances.

“The students were wonderful, giving their precious time off during Spring Break to help those less fortunate,” says Panke. “Everyone was willing to help and there was no complaining.”

This spiritual journey marks the beginning of more to come. Undecided about returning to Jacksonville, the students promise to keep this annual tradition alive in any city in need of their services. “It’s been an amazing experience for all students involved,” Tobin says. “Not only have we served others, but we have each gained a deeper faith and commitment to helping those in need.”

 

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