ABINGTON, Pa. — A dozen Penn State Abington students spent their week off in March performing service work in Philadelphia and educating themselves on social injustice during the campus Alternative Spring Break (ASB).
The students worked at nonprofit sites throughout the Philadelphia area including Caring for Friends, Chosen 300 Ministeries, Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel, the Sunday Breakfast Mission, and Cradles to Crayons. In addition to performing physical duties such as preparing meals for the hungry and living spaces for the homeless, the students learned and reflected on issues facing vulnerable populations.
Sophomore Linda Zhang, one of the student leaders of ASB, said she participated because she believes in the value of service.
“I live in Philadelphia, and I’m devoted to giving back to my community. This week provided opportunities for me to learn more. I enlightened myself,” she said.
“We talked about what causes homelessness and poverty, and what can we do as individuals. No matter which organization we were working at, we realized that no amount of help is too small," Zhang continued.
She emphasized that volunteering can be helpful even if it’s not ongoing.
“You can always seek to volunteer to help change a life, even if it’s just one time, instead of being passive. All the organizations we visited appreciated our service. We might just be helping pack up food, but the impact goes a lot further than that,” she said.
Zhang said Philadelphia City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, a 2007 Abington graduate, led a discussion with the students around the homelessness and housing crisis in Philadelphia and across the country.
“He talked about the causes of homelessness and poverty, and how it’s not just a surface-level issue. There’s a lot of facets to it, and what we can do to eradicate it. It was helpful and informative, and he engaged all the students in the conversation. We learned a lot,” she said.