This spring break, many students may plan to take trips or even just rest at home, but the Community Service Center presents an alternative break that will afford students the chance to make a difference in our country and abroad.

“This year the spring alternative break will be a trip to Memphis, Tenn., and Guatemala City, Guatemala,” said Wahnee Sherman, director of the CSC. “The deadline to apply for the trip to Guatemala has passed, but we still have spots open on the trip to Memphis.”

Sherman said the cost of the trip to Memphis is $300 and students will be working with numerous service projects from Sunday through Thursday.

“They will be working to repair homes of the elderly, community cleanup, delivering meals and working in soup kitchens,” Sherman said.

Students that will be going on the Guatemala trip will be mentoring children and working in an orphanage.

Emily Hice, student director for alternative breaks, said she is happy with what this spring break will offer.

“I am very excited about the trip this spring break and I think it is a great way for students to get involved,” Hice said.

In addition to the other service activities, Hice said the students might be able to take a tour of the St. Jude’s hospital there.

Hice has been on many of the alternative breaks in the past, and she said she remembers her first one to Costa Rice her sophomore year.

“We went on the trip and helped to build a water filtration system,” she said. “It gave me the chance to meet a lot of people and one of the girls I met on that trip is actually one of best friends now.”

Sherman said the CSC has been granting students the alternative break opportunity for about 12 to 15 years.

“Students that tend to go on these trips want to do something productive over the break and impact another community,” Sherman said.

She said students get the opportunity to be immersed into another culture, see some sites and give back to these communities.

This past winter alternative break, UA students from all different majors got the opportunity to travel to Haiti and perform service projects to help Hatians recover from a devastating earthquake.

“Students that participated in this effort traveled to San Cristobal, which is in the Dominican Republic,” said Joe Moore, founder of Appleseed Expeditions, which is a company that aides in coordinating the Community Service Center’s service abroad trips.

Moore will also be working with the upcoming trip to Guatemala.

“One main focus of the service trips is to give the students the chance to use their skills and educational background to serve our global communities,” he said. “The CSC at UA grants students the opportunity to gain leadership through service.”