Though many students are preparing to head home for Spring Break, a few plan to stay behind to give back to the city of Syracuse.

The Alibrandi Catholic Center, located at 110 Walnut Place, is offering an alternative Spring Break program in which students will spend their week volunteering in the Syracuse community, said Father Linus DeSantis, the Roman Catholic chaplain at the center.

“Rather than going to sunny Florida or the Bahamas, it’s responding to the needs of a community, the local Syracuse community, the Westside and the Northside,” he said.

Mairead Rauch, a senior environmental resources and forest engineering major, and Bo Stewart, a sophomore political science, policy studies and economics major, set up the program and organized the entire week.

“The week is an opportunity for students to give back to the area where they go to school,” Rauch said in an email.

Students will be volunteering at various locations in the Syracuse area, including St. Lucy’s Church, The Franciscan Church of the Assumption’s Food Pantry and the Rescue Mission, Rauch said.

“This experience will allow them to take a break from school, do something good for the community and explore the Syracuse area,” she said.

Compared to past alternative Spring Break trips the Alibrandi Catholic Center has organized, such as a service trip to New Orleans, this year’s is much more laid back, Rauch said.

The center decided to host this year’s break in Syracuse so students could have the opportunity to participate as much or as little as they’d like. Students can participate for one afternoon or the entire week.

Rauch and Stewart designed the schedule with the knowledge that many people go home or work for part of break, and might only have time to volunteer a few times, Rauch said.

Campus minister Maggie Byrne said she agrees with the simplicity of this program. The New Orleans trip tends to be a little pricey, she said, so volunteering in Syracuse is a cheaper alternative for students who are interested in helping the community.

DeSantis, the chaplain, said there are many opportunities for students to participate in community service projects in the Syracuse area.

“It’s a variation on a theme,” he said. “Here, it’s local people, it’s not far. But there is a need and that’s the whole idea, to respond to the need.”

Those at the Alibrandi Catholic Center hope to plan more alternative breaks like this one. It’s a great way for students to fill their time if they are staying in Syracuse during breaks, DeSantis said.

About eight students have signed up to participate in the alternative Spring Break, he said. DeSantis said he hopes the center can increase these numbers in the future, as it’s only the first time the center has planned a program of this kind.

During the day, students will volunteer at local charities and at night, will have opportunities to explore the city of Syracuse. Some of these events include the St. Patrick’s Day parade and a trip to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, said Byrne, the campus minister.

Students don’t often have time during the semester to get off campus and volunteer, so Spring Break is a great time to give it a try, Byrne said.

Rauch said: “By staying in Syracuse, I can get out and see this city and I can give back to a place that has given me so much.”

Published on March 6, 2013 at 10:28 pm

Contact Melina: mrmart06@syr.edu