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This
student-run program is designed to match volunteers with service
opportunities in the Hays area. Sponsored by the Student Government
Association, the Center for Civic Leadership, and the Office
of Student Affairs, Tigers in Service is a clearinghouse for
students with a desire to participate in community service
activities. |
March, 2006: Hurricane
Relief Trip
| On March 18, 19 students and one faculty member headed out of Kansas on a 15 hour drive to Port Arthur, TX to begin their Alternative Spring Break sponsored by Tigers In Service. Once in Port Arthur, the volunteers helped with roofing, putting up siding, installing windows, and caulking the siding of three different Habitat for Humanity houses. These houses will benefit those affected by the hurricanes. Volunteers also went to Beaumont, TX to help re-roof a house that was damaged by Hurricane Rita. The group stayed in a church in Port Arthur along with volunteers from Kansas State University. The group began their trip home on Saturday, March 25 and returned to Hays on March 26. |
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Both the winter break and spring break Hurricane Relief trips have been extremely successful. On the winter break trip in New Orleans, volunteers “cutted and gutted” houses to help prepare for the rebuilding process. On the spring break trip in Port Arthur, volunteers were able to help with the actual building and rebuilding of homes. The success of the trips is not only based on the number of houses worked on, it is also measured by how each volunteer who participated was affected by the experience. |
| While many Tigers in Service volunteers were affected in different ways, there is no doubt that most individuals who went on this trip will strive to be even more civically engaged individuals. As a result of the alternative break trips, there are three Tigers in Service volunteers who will be spending the summer as Disciples Home Missions site coordinators for hurricane recovery work. Two students who have participated in both trips are considering the Peace Corps, and their experience on the Tigers in Service Alternative Breaks helped aid them in this decision. Whether it’s dedicating months and years to service, or simply deciding to help out with a local service event, the effect of this experience on the volunteers’ lives, and most importantly the lives of those helped, is PRICELESS! |
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