A group of St. Norbert College students in De Pere recently went on Spring Break, but they didn't spend it relaxing on the beach. Their trip was anything but a vacation, and that's exactly the way they wanted it.
The 12 students signed up to take part in the college's TRIPS program which stands for Turning Responsibility into Powerful Service. The group hopped in rented vans and drove 13 hours to Arkansas to help families in need.
"It was a very rewarding type of tired at the end of the day," said Senior Lauren Adams.
The TRIPS co-leader and her group teamed up with Habitat for Humanity in Little Rock. They worked nine hour days raking, painting, building fences, and replacing gutters for low income families living in nine different homes in need of some TLC.
"It just meant a lot to them because they aren't able to complete the work themselves, and just seeing 12 students spending their Spring Break like that just meant the world to them. It was really great to see their reactions," explains Junior and TRIPS Co-Leader Caytie Joe Boknevitz.
One improvement project, in particular, sticks out for Adams.
"The woman who lived in the house came out and hugged us each individually and thanked us for everything, and it was just one of those moments where it was incredible to see, you know, just a small little bit of work, three hours of the day, can make such a huge impact on somebody's life."
The students raised the money to go on this service trip by writing letters to request donations. Once in Little Rock, they had to abide by the program's simple living requirement.
