APSU students complete more than 400 hours of service during fall break

Clarksville, TN – During last week’s fall break, three groups of Austin Peay State University students participated in Alternative Break Trips through the University’s Center for Service-Learning & Community Engagement. Collectively, these students completed more than 400 hours of community service.

From October 7th-11th, nine students and a staff member traveled to Chattanooga to spend part of their time volunteering with the Hart Gallery, a community garden and creative space for the homeless.

APSU students helped in the community garden and contributed to a community mosaic. The rest of their time was spent with the Chattanooga Food Bank. The students helped with the 7,360 meals that were provided to those in need.

From October 7th-11th, nine students and a faculty member traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, where they worked with Kingdom House, an organization based around urban poverty. The APSU students volunteered with children and aided in beautification projects. The students also participated in a poverty simulation and learned from Kingdom House staff about the issues facing a population in poverty.

From October 8th-11th, eight students and a staff member traveled to Gainesville, Georgia. This group volunteered at Don Carter State Park, the newest park in the Georgia park system. The students assisted in the creation, maintenance and blazing of hiking and equestrian trails. Because of Hurricane Matthew, many of the park’s rangers were deployed to areas in need, leaving APSU students to step in to keep the maintenance running smoothly.

The Alternative Break program is organized by the Center for Service-Learning & Community Engagement at APSU. Through a written application, students are selected to participate in a variety of service projects throughout the country that are organized by student leaders and faculty/staff advisors. A total of 12 trips are scheduled throughout the 2016-2017 academic year, during the fall, winter, spring and summer.

For more information on how to get involved, visit www.apsu.edu/volunteer