Thea Sideropoulos of Woodbury, CT Spent Spring Break Serving Others

2013 Mar 11

Thea Sideropoulos of Woodbury spent spring break serving others as part of James Madison University's Alternative Spring Break program. Sideropoulos, a junior communication sciences and disorder major, traveled to Washington, D.C. to volunteer at Food & Friends.

This trip to Washington D.C. was cosponsored by Madison HIV/AIDS Alliance at JMU. The group worked with Food and Friends, a nonprofit organization that delivers home cooked meals to people with cancer and/or HIV/AIDS. Not only did the students deliver the meals, they also cooked all the meals as well. The students focused on individuals with HIV/AIDS and were able to get a unique opportunity to look beyond statistics and gain a positive understanding of what it is like to be someone who is living with HIV/AIDS.

The student-led ASB trips, scheduled for March 2-9, are each based on a social issue such as homelessness, environmentalism or community wellness. Over 300 students embarked on 30 spring break trips around the country and world. The students spend the week living simply, focused on service in their destination community but also on teamwork and reflection within their group.

For information about JMU's Alternative Break Program, including an interactive map showcasing past service trips and Community Service-Learning, check out http://www.jmu.edu/service/.