SJC Students to Spend Spring Break Rebuilding Homes in Colorado

February 23, 2014 LI

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. FEBRUARY 24, 2014 A dedicated group of 27 students and three staff members from St. Josephs College (SJC) are opting for an alternative spring break trip next month to Greeley, Colo. to help rebuild communities that were destroyed by devastating floods this past September.

In September 2013, the state of Colorado was hit by heavy rainfall and catastrophic flooding that reached the annual average rainfall in a matter of days. The area was declared a natural disaster when eight people were killed and more than 11,000 were displaced by devastating floods that destroyed 2,000 homes and damaged 19,000 others. The flooding spread across 200 miles and affected 17 counties.

"The alternative spring break trip is an opportunity for our students to live out the Colleges motto and mission to serve others, said Patrick Tracy, director of campus ministry on SJCs Long Island Campus. "This journey merges social responsibility with a communal effort to help those in need. Students are given the chance to see how they can make a difference in the world by using their talents and work ethic to bring relief to others. In doing so, they always get more than they give.

SJCs Alternative Spring/Winter Break Program is for students who donate their time and efforts to make a difference in an area that has experienced a recent disaster or is vulnerable and underserved. By deciding to spend their winter or spring break to help people in need, the students are assisting others while using the tools of education and developed talents to address real problems in the world today.

SJC students spent last years alternative spring break trip helping to rebuild homes in New York that were destroyed by Superstorm Sandy. Previous trips have also included helping to build a day care center and playground in Nicaragua, building homes in Georgetown, S.C. and rebuilding homes that were destroyed by tornadoes in Joplin, Mo.