SAU holds alternative spring break trip to help serve communities.

MAGNOLIA — For Southern Arkansas University’s 2017 Alternative Spring Break, 45 Southern Arkansas University students provided community service to the women’s shelter in Amarilo, Texas, in route to the ski vacation in Winter Park, Colorado.

Students from this area include Spencer Stanton of Smackover, Lauren Gross and Mary Lansdell of El Dorado.

The group helped sanitize and organize inventory at local thrift stores that benefit the women’s shelter. Students also prepared meals for residents at the shelter, as well as assemble toys for their families. Following completion of the service projects, the group headed to Winter Park, Colorado, to ski the remaining break away.

This year’s trip was organized by Lydia Lindsey, SAU student activities coordinator, and chaperoned by faculty members Haley Burrow, Carey Baker, and Kerri and Steven Ochs.

Since 2010, SAU Student Activities has been organizing spring break trips as opportunities for students to volunteer their service to communities in need. In the past, students have visited homeless shelters in New Orleans and a children’s home in Colorado. SAU students have participated in handing out food, building food gardens, cleaning homeless shelters, and working with children in orphanages.

“This allows the students to experience new adventures outside of the SAU community,” said Kandice Herron, assistant dean of campus activities. “These trips have been eye opening for many of our students and they are very humbling experiences.”