Alternative Spring Break Raises Up Rations

From left Patricia Yates, director of Career Services, and Dean of Students Larry Siegel listen to Sarah Varnerin, president of the UMass Lowell Wiseguys, explain her club's sculpture.

Some food drives use cardboard boxes, others collect donations outside grocery stores. Alternative Spring Break (ASB), the on-campus community service group, uses imagination in its annual River Hawks Raise Up Rations food drive.

As part of National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Month, ASB invited students, faculty, staff and community members to collect non-perishable food items and then build elaborate sculptures and towers.

“Last year we raised 555 pounds of food, all of which was donated to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank,” explains Fred Perry, president of ASB. “We want people to know that everyone can participate. You don’t have to be a student group. If you just want to donate food items, you can look for drop boxes around campus.”

ASB also recently participated in the Lowell Wish Project with the UMass Lowell Hiking Club. Reaching out to more than 850 families, the Wish Project collects furniture, clothing and household items in a large warehouse for needy families. ASB makes monthly trips to the warehouse to help sort and organize the stock of items.

These activities are just part of a yearlong preparation for a large-scale service project that takes place over the students’ spring break, giving Alternative Spring Break its name. This year, ASB will be returning to New Orleans to help with that city’s rebuilding projects.

“I’m so excited to go back,” says Perry. “You always hear about Southern hospitality, but these people really are the nicest people we could possibly work with. Everyone wants to help.”

Last year, ASB brought 12 people to New Orleans. This year, the number has increased to 15.

“A common misconception is that there isn’t enough room to go on the trip,” explains Perry. “But we are always looking for people to get involved. Even if you don’t want to make the trip in the spring, we have activities throughout the year. We have a holiday raffle, an annual rose sale, bake sales, we do leaf raking and this year we’ll be working at Gillette Stadium to raise money for the trip.”

Winning two Student Activities awards, including “Outstanding New Student Organization of the Year,” ASB meets in the Campus Rec Center every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. If you are interested in more information or would like to register a team for Raise Up Rations, contact thealternativespringbreak@hotmail.com.

- Morgan_Hough

From left, students Tiffany Keyes, Magi Lindeman and Erin Walsh at work in New Orleans during last year's Alternative Spring Break trip.