Featured photo by Daniel Sheehan
Story by Daniel Sheehan
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Thirty Middle Tennessee State University students volunteered at a variety of organizations during spring break.
MTSU’s Office of Student Organizations and Service hosted its annual Alternative Spring Break, a program that connects students with local volunteer opportunities. Instead of taking a vacation, the students served at nonprofits that combat issues such as food insecurity and animal neglect in Middle Tennessee.
For some students, the work tied directly into the fields that they are studying. Kelsey Ellis, a food science major, plans to work with similar organizations after graduating in May.
“My focus is in sports nutrition, pediatrics, and medical nutrition therapy,” said Ellis. “There are many community programs like WIC that make diet plans for people with food insecurity.”
Students completed large scale projects that required many hands to complete in a timely manner. Feed America First, Feed the Children, The Gentle Barn and Morning Glory Orchard all provided volunteer opportunities throughout the week.
At Feed America First, students distributed an 800-pound box of Cheez-Its into gallon sized bags. The box, one of many in the facility, took eight people two hours to empty. The bags will then be given to families in need. On the second day, students organized school supplies and broke down cardboard boxes at Feed the Children. The nonprofit provides essential materials for teachers in underfunded districts.
For many students, the highlight of the week was working at The Gentle Barn, an animal sanctuary in Christiana, Tennessee. Students cleaned out a small area of the 40-acre property for a garden that will grow produce for the animals. They planted seeds in compostable pots that will later be put in the ground. The garden will produce beets, broccoli, spinach, carrots, squash and tomatoes.
After cleaning and planting, students got to spend time with the sanctuary’s animals. They got to hand feed treats to cows, hold chickens, brush sheep and pet goats. For many of the volunteers, this was their first time interacting with farm animals. The barn is also home to horses, alpacas and pigs, which kept their distance from the large group. The animals, which have all been rescued from abusive or neglectful situations, were one of the main priorities for Molly Miham, a graduate assistant who helped organize Alternative Spring Break.
“I searched the area for volunteer opportunities,” said Miham. “I wanted to find some way to help animals and I came across The Gentle Barn.”
Miham connected with her former employer, Morning Glory Orchard, to find another volunteer opportunity for the program. At the orchard, students prepared a garden and planted seeds.
While past iterations of Alternative Spring Break have included weeklong out-of-state trips, this year’s program focused on daily local opportunities to allow more students to attend. In previous years, students volunteered in various roles in local schools, including teaching drama classes, said Jackie Victory, director of Student Organizations and Service.
“We start researching interests and needs and look at people who can accommodate bigger groups,” said Victory. “We try to plan things where you can walk away knowing the impact that you had.”
The Student and Organizations and Service Office provides year-round volunteer opportunities for MTSU students. Students can learn about future events by following the office on Instagram.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Destiny Mizell and Assistant Lifestyles Editor Shamani Salahuddin, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com, or follow us on Instagram at MTSUSidelines or on X at @MTSUSidelines.
