Dozens of students are taking part in four service trips organized for Spring Break 2009, the Kernodle Center for Service Learning has announced, with efforts along the hurricane-damaged Gulf Coast, the Domincian Republic and Honduras.
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi – Hurricane Katrina relief
The trip, led by sophomores Katie Lazor and Sarah Welch, will be Elon’s 21st service trip to the Gulf Coast since Hurricane Katrina. Mel Byerley, office manager in Media Services, and Kyle Shade, International Programs adviser, serve as staff advisers for the 18 students staying at Project Hope and Compassion outside of Gulfport, Mississippi, and working with the non-profit organization Katrina Relief in Mississippi. It will be Elon’s second visit with PHC and Katrina Relief. Bob and Kathleen Patrick have made these trips possible by continuing to support these disaster relief efforts through scholarships.
Galveston, Texas – Hurricane Ike relief
The trip, led by sophomores Leah Fulbright and Christine Tompkins, will be Elon’s second Hurricane Ike relief trip. The first service trip to Galveston, Texas, was through a 2009 Winter Term course led by Staci Stalz. Brian O’Shea, assistant to the vice president of Student Life and Mary Wise, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs, are accompanying the 12 students on a trip made possible through scholarships from Bob and Kathleen Patrick.
Honduras
Seniors Frances Gee and Courtney Snead are the student leaders and the trip advisors are Emily Ivey, director of Student Orientation and Mayte De Lama, assistant professor of Spanisht. The 11 students are working with an organization in northern Honduras called ProNiño, a non-profit and non-denominational program with the mission to “rehabilitate, educate and reintegrate” streetchildren with drug addictions into society.” This is Elon’s fourth time working with ProNiño, including the 2009 Winter Term course “Social Entrepreneurship in Honduras” taught by Christine Cotton and Elizabeth Bailey. Support for this project is provided by the Student Government Association and Bob and Kathleen Patrick.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic trip is led by juniors Tristan Milder and C.J. Fleischmann and advised by Raquel Cortes Mazuelas, assistant director of the Spanish Center and Jay McMerty, coordinatior of video projects in the School of Communications. The 12 students will be working with Cambiando Vidas, a non-profit, U.S.- based organization that helps build “small, safe, affordable, concrete-block homes that are strong enough to survive hurricane-force storms” for poor families. These families, who also play an instrumental role in the building process, are provided with international and local volunteer labor and interest free mortgages, which make payments and the path to owning a home attainable.
This will be the fourth Alternative Break Service trip to the Dominican Republic to work on housing issues. The Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, Bob and Kathleen Patrick and the Student Government Association provide scholarships for this project.