For Local Student, a Week of Hard Labor Isn’t a Sentence, But an Opportunity

This winter, Mike Lucio of Clinton Township will be among 55 Saginaw Valley State University students who are plan to spend parts of their holiday break volunteering for organizations helping others.

Lucio, an occupational therapy major from Clinton Township, will participate in the project Rural Reconstruction at Southern Appalachian Labor School in Kincaid, W. Va. The project, from Jan. 5-11, involves work on old coal camp houses while assisting with after-school programs for at-risk families.

The initiative is one of five opportunities being organized through SVSU's Alternative Breaks program, a student-led group that advocates volunteer work during traditional break periods from school.

Throughout December and January, students involved in Alternative Breaks will volunteer at Southern Appalachian Labor School in Kincaid, W. Va.; Bread For The World in Washington, D.C.; Beds For Kids in Richmond, Va.; the YMCA of Western North Carolina in Asheville; and the Habitat For Humanity of Kent County in Grand Rapids.

Upon returning from their Alternative Breaks, SVSU students will apply lessons learned on their trips toward community service projects close to SVSU and/or the students' home communities.