During school breaks, Hamilton College students organize service trips in which students can volunteer to spend their time doing community service around the United States. The program is called the Alternative Break Program and is often referred to as “AXB.” During the 2016–17 school year, AXB expanded its offerings to include the fall, winter and spring breaks for volunteer opportunities. The fall break trip was a success and saw eight Hamilton students volunteering at Double H in the Adirondacks, where they assisted with Family Memorial Weekend.

This past winter break, nine students went on a trip to Jacksonville, FL to help support disaster relief efforts related to the recovery from Hurricane Irma that are currently underway. They volunteered with the organization Nechama, which bills itself as the “Jewish Response to Disaster.”

In addition to running programs for college students, Nechama coordinates relief efforts for adults who are local to a disaster and those who are willing to travel and lodge at a disaster site. Nechama, on top of delivering necessary aid in Jacksonville, runs several volunteer programs at Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange, TX on disaster relief for Hurricane Harvey. Furthermore, starting in March, Nechama will be working in Houston, TX on rebuilding houses that were destroyed by Hurricane Harvey.

On the AXB trip to Jacksonville, Hamilton students participated in a variety of activities, including clearing out houses and cleaning up debris from outdoor areas. In order to participate in the trip, students filled out an application regarding their interest toward this particular project. In addition, students were asked about their previous experiences with community service and why they were drawn to community service. Students were also asked about their leadership qualities and how well they functioned in a group.

The trip was organized by Sabrina Gattine ’18, who did not attend the trip but believed that it was a great success.

She reported that many of the winter break participantswere thinking about partaking in another AXB trip, and that some were even intending to continue volunteering with Nechama.

“I’m really pleased that we’ve had two successful AXB trips so far this year,” Gattine said. “I’m excited for the six we have left.”