Kathleen Bidad of Washingtonville participates in Alternative Spring Break trip

2016 Mar 15

Washingtonville, NY resident Kathleen Bidad spent spring break serving others through James Madison University's Alternative Spring Break Program. Bidad, a Health Sciences major, scheduled to graduate in 2018, traveled to Atlanta, GA to volunteer with Medici Project (formerly Essential 2 Life).

The student-led ASB trips took place from March 5-12. Each trip focused on a social issue, such as homelessness, resettlement, environmentalism or community wellness, in a specific region. Almost 250 students embarked on 25 spring break trips around the country and world. The students spent the week living simply, focused on service in their destination community but also on teamwork and reflection within their group.

This trip focuses on the social issue of health. Atlanta has been hit hard by rising rates of HIV/AIDS positive residents. The fact that sex trafficking of young women is growing at rapid rates in the city is not helping with those statistics. Throughout the week students worked closely with the Medici Project and other organizations participating in hands-on projects that reach out to those in need of health services both in Atlanta and around the world. During their visit they worked with impoverished children, troubled young women, and they had the delightful opportunity to engage with educational speakers on the topic of health issues specifically in Atlanta.

For information about JMU's award winning Alternative Break Program, visit www.jmu.edu/abp.