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Plattsburgh State Students Volunteer for Community Service During Winter Break

PLATTSBURGH, NY __ More than 30 Plattsburgh State University of New York students will forego the usual winter break involving skiing or relaxing at home, and instead participate in the Alternative Winter Break Program. Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 6, students head for one of three sites to help in various community service activities.

In Naples, Fla., the student volunteers will be conducting environmental work such as eradicating nuisance species and planting trees at Collier Seminole State Park.  In Georgetown, S.C., volunteers will work with Habitat for Humanity, building houses for low-income families, and in Greenfield, N.H., students will work with disabled children at a rehabilitation center and preparatory school.
  
Alternative Winter Break, in its fifth year at Plattsburgh State, started as a way to challenge students to volunteer their time during what is traditionally a time away from school for many college students.

For many of the students participating in Alternative Winter Break, this is their first time being involved in a service project. Cori Matthews, director of the Center for Service Learning and Volunteerism and the Alternative Winter Break Program, said that the travel aspect entices the students to volunteer for community service.
 
"We hope they come back with a better understanding of societal issues, and actively participate in community service projects in the Plattsburgh community when they get back," said Matthews.

Students and site leaders return to campus in time for the resumption of classes Jan. 26.

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