ABINGTON, Pa. — Thirteen Penn State Abington students recently visited Washington, D.C., for an Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program full of community service, advocacy on Capitol Hill, and a bit of sightseeing.
The students assembled more than 980 meals at the Capital Area Food Bank for senior citizens and homebound persons and prepped an additional 540 meals at Bread for the City for those in need.
An annual tradition at Abington, ASB projects are off-campus, educational service opportunities. Students travel to a community where they work and serve to foster a dialogue around issues of social justice.
“Fifteen people made over 900 grocery bags for seniors [at Capital Area Food Bank] and that was really cool,” said Busolami Olayinka-Yusuf, a sophomore in the psychology and social sciences major. She is a service associate for Student Engagement and Leadership (SEAL) and helped plan ASB, which was sponsored by Abington’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and SEAL. “I was inspired to plan this trip because I wanted to serve outside of our community and get out of our Abington bubble," she said.
This year, the scope of ASB broadened to include discussions about increased federal aid for college students and improved access to higher education. The students spent time with a member of U.S. Sen. John Fetterman’s team and with Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA 4th District), who represents Abington and most of Montgomery County in Congress.