Montclair Students Participate in Alternative Spring Break

Last week, Montclair State University students participated in Alternative Spring Break, an annual event that gives students the opportunity to do community service. Instead of spending their break from school at home, these students chose to give back to their communities by volunteering at local agencies.

The volunteer coordinator at the Center for Student Involvement is responsible for planning the week and providing opportunities to those who want to serve. This year, volunteer coordinator Suzette Shaw, prepared a memorable week for all of those involved. For the first day of volunteering, students served at Father English Food pantry where they sorted through donations, packed bags of food, and organized shelves.

On the second day of service, students volunteered at Camp YDP. There, the students organized the library, cleaning up shelves, discarding old books and arranging new books. On the third day, students served at the HUUB where they stained a porch, painted a water drain, and sanded outdoor furniture and railings. On the fourth and final day, students completed service at Brookdale Park. With the sun shining above them, students cut through invasive trees and shrubs and cleaned up sticks and debris from the area they worked on.

Overall, students served a total of 100 hours and were able to support the efforts of four different organizations. The Office of Community Engagement and the Center for Student Involvement are grateful for the hard work of the students who participated. Both offices are looking forward to an equally successful event next year.