Students spend a working holiday in Florida

Around campus

By Megan Rowe
 981-3341
The New River Valley Current
 

Most students who headed to Florida for winter break worried about remembering sunscreen or bathing suits, but Jim Young was hoping one of his friends would bring a buck saw.

Young, a program leader for Virginia Tech's YMCA Student Programs' alternative breaks, was co-leading a trip to clean up Hurricane Frances damage at YMCA Camp Winona in DeLeon Springs, Fla.

He and the eight others going on the trip aren't the only Tech students who donated their time to others during the holidays.

Many students volunteered at the Montgomery County Christmas Store, which gave food, clothes, toys and kitchen supplies to 12,018 low-income Montgomery County families this year. Patsy Dillon-Long, who does public relations for the store, said it relied on more than 1,000 volunteers to set up the store and help shoppers select from the new and used items.

Theresa Manning, a sophomore at Tech, said she enjoyed her four-hour shift watching shoppers' children in the store's day care center during finals week last month.

"Most of them don't want to leave," she said. "They're having so much fun down here."

Manning and her friend Jodi Freiheit, also a sophomore, said they would volunteer at the store again next year. "It's been fun," Manning said. "I like playing with kids."

These students weren't the only ones who wanted to help children during the holidays. Circle K, a Tech service organization, held its annual Christmas party for Montgomery County children and their parents on Dec. 16. The children were all chosen through the Children's Health Improvement Partnership, which helps children from low-income families who have social or medical needs.

Terri Kelly, a CHIP case manager, said the party benefited the children by giving them a chance to spend time with their parents and socialize with peers. The children, whose ages ranged from 1 to 12, decorated cookies, ate pizza, listened to a reading of "The Polar Express" and received gifts from Santa.

Casey Beavers, a student at Christiansburg Primary School, said his favorite parts were "pizza and getting presents and reading a story ." However, Casey wasn't sure if he'd go to next year's party.

"I don't know," he said. "I'm 7 years old."

Nancy Miller, a Tech senior and a Circle K member, said most of the party was low-budget because Circle K reuses the decorations each year and much of the pizza was donated from PK's and Pizza Hut. Luther Memorial Lutheran Church allows the club free use of their building.

Circle K members each bought a gift for one child. Amory Cooper, a Tech junior, said students selected the gifts based on what the children asked for. They could choose how much to spend.

The YMCA trip involved more monetary sacrifice. The trip cost each student $200, but they could mail letters to family members and friends asking for donations. The major expense was the Virginia Tech Motor Pool van they rented for $53 a day and gas. Food and lodging were provided by Camp Winona in exchange for their work.

Before he left, Young estimated they would work up to eight hours a day cleaning up the damage that Hurricane Frances - one of four hurricanes to hit Florida - caused the camp. But they also planned to spend some time enjoying the camp's kayaks and ropes course and a day trip to Disney World.

"A lot of it's really just bonding with everyone, learning about their life," Young said. "I mean, people who want to go on this type of trip give up like a week where there's like no drinking or anything like that. A lot of them come from really interesting backgrounds and have a really interesting outlook on life."

Jody Gill, a junior who's co-leading the trip with Young, said she never did anything on her school breaks if she just stayed home. "It's good to help out," she said. "And I know a lot of people down in Florida who actually got hit by the hurricane."

Around Campus is a weekly feature written by New River Valley college students. Comment on this story on roanoke.com. Megan Rowe is senior majoring in communications at Virginia Tech.

To Contact Us:

YMCA Student Programs

Virginia Tech

312 Squires Student Center

Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0546

Phone: 540-231-3734

Fax: 540-231-9625

E-mail: ymcasp.vt.edu

Questions or comments about the website? Email Jim Young