Gates Center for Leadership and Personal Growth > Spring Break Service Trip

SPRING BREAK SERVICE TRIP
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Spring Break 2005 in Foley, Alabama

Spring Break Service
Trip Archive:

Spring Break:
An opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others.

Each year, Lake Forest College and the Gates Center for Leadership and Personal Growth sponsors a Spring Break Service Trip where students perform community service rather than head to the beaches or home. In March 2005, a group of 18 students and two staff members will travel to the gulf coast of Alabama  to participate in the Habitat for Humanity Collegiate Challenge program.  The area is especially in need of affordable housing after the devastation of hurricane Ivan.

In the past, students have gone to places such as Tahlequah, OK; El Paso, TX; Fayetteville, NC; Trenton, NJ; and San Jose, CA. The group has worked with service organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Americorps, and Teach for America. Students that have participated in the past have commented that this has been one of the greatest, most enriching experiences of their lives.

If you are interested in participating in future service trips, contact the Gates Center for Leadership and Personal Growth at (847) 735-5210.

“I like volunteering and helping out people. It is an amazing way to show how much I care about people who are in need of a place to stay. And I am grateful to everyone who made this trip become reality. We have contributed to the happiness of some persons we have never met before. This feels great.”
         - Alex Szilagyi '08

"The Spring Break Service Trip is a unique opportunity for Lake Forest College students to broaden their horizons by assisting others on a breadth of projects at Habitat for Humanity sites around the country. The experience is not easily put into words but "extremely rewarding" and "deeply fulfilling" would easily fit the bill. It really changed my perspective on the effects of natural disasters on people's lives and lets face it spending a week in Alabama by the ocean is tons of fun even if you are building houses instead of playing at the beach. If you have any doubts about this trip, do it, you won't regret it!"
         - Ed Vrtis '07