144 students return from week of service

WBA Community Collaborations assists Baton Rouge, LA with flood relief.

Courtesy\Service and Solidary Blog

WBA Community Collaborations assists Baton Rouge, LA with flood relief.

Jasmine Blais, Culture Editor

144 students embarked on Winter Break Alternative (WBA) in locations ranging from the Dominican Republic to right down the Hilltop in Manchester, N.H. from Jan. 7 to 14 of the new year. These groups served communities through Campus Ministry’s Service and Solidarity Missions program assisting with home repair and construction, flood relief, homeless hospitality, refugee resettlement, and school assistance.

This year, WBA has reached record interest and participation. Because of an overwhelming applicant pool, two additional trips were added to the prescribed eight to accommodate student interest and need. Students traveled to the Dominican Republic, Baltimore, Maryland, Phoenix, Arizona, New Orleans, Louisiana, Virginia, Manchester, New Hampshire, Salem, West Virginia., and Washington, D.C., as well as Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Hartford, Connecticut.

These opportunities provided to students embody the Benedictine values of justice, stewardship, and serving the common good. Students travel to engage with communities near and far, with the purpose not only to perform service or “build the house,” but also to connect with others on a human-to-human level and understand the scope of social injustice in the world.

Campus minister Melissa Gismervik places great value on the college’s Service and Solidarity program, as she sees how it helps students grow into educated people aware of the world. “My hope is that students gained a not only a new perspectives on world issues, but that they become empowered and motivated to  respond to the injustices of the world,” said Gismervik. “Although this experience was just a week in length, we hope that they will be reminded of it and also motivated by it throughout their lives.”

Student-leader and sophomore nursing major Cassidy Diaz served the homeless population of Phoenix, A.Z. at the Andre House of Hospitality over winter break, where she served food, provided laundry, showers, and clothing, and engaged with the homeless guests.

“This trip has definitely had a tremendous impact on me and my life after college. Experiences like these have helped me figure out the populations of people I want to work with and help for the rest of my life, and they also taught me a lot about myself,” said Diaz. “They provided me with a wider understanding of the need in this country, which will certainly impact my career choices and the way I chose to live after I graduate.”