What is the Michigan Service Scholars (MSS) AmeriCorps Program? 
The Michigan Service Scholars Program [MSS] provides over $350,000 annually in education awards state-wide to students attending Michigan Campus Compact [MICC] member campuses through a grant from The Michigan Community Service Commission and The Corporation for National and Community Service. Students willing to complete 300 hours of community service during one calendar year will be awarded a $1,175 AmeriCorps education award, to be used for qualified educational purposes. Community service hours can be completed during the academic year and/or over class breaks. 

Alternative Spring Break is a non-profit, student initiative-led organization that works on various community service projects around the country. In February 2012 during Winter Break, 74 students traveled to service various communities across the United States. If you are interested in participating in Alternative Spring Break for the 2013-2014 school year please email Megan VanSparrentak at mlvanspa@oakland.edu.

Chicago

In order to increase awareness about HIV and AIDS, a group of 15 students went to Chicago to volunteer during spring break. They worked with various organizations throughout the week. At a food pantry called Vital Bridges, ASB packaged food and collected grocery orders from the pantry’s clients. The group also spent a day playing football and cleaning up a park with children between the ages of 7 and 14 who either have HIV or AIDS or have a parent/guardian with the syndrome. The volunteer hours were filled with a lot of jokes, a lot of laughs, and a lot of good-natured smack-talk too!

 These students, who were mostly unfamiliar with one another, were able to grow closer with each passing day. While in Chicago, the ASB students stayed at a hostel that was in the heart of the city; they were able to take advantage of its close proximity to shopping districts, restaurants, and entertainment venues. These students, most of who were born and raised in Michigan, learned to navigate public the transportation system as well. The week was filled with new learning experiences and good times too. The organizations they worked with enlightened them of the causes and effects of HIV/AIDS, and so the students gained new perspectives on their own lives. Spending a whole week living together and working for a single cause creates a phenomenal, surreal bond like nothing else can. The 15 students who participated in Alternative Spring Break - Chicago created memories that will last for years to come.

Cottondale, Alabama

40 ASB participants traveled to Cottondale, Alabama, to help with disaster relief from the tornadoes that hit January 23, 2012. They spent one week traveling from home to home cleaning up debris, clearing fallen trees, demolishing ruined homes, and meeting those who were affected by the tornadoes destruction. They were able to assist at 10 different work sites, and had some fun too. 

On their day off, participants traveled to Birmingham and Tuscaloosa where they visited the Civil Rights Museum as well as the Mcwane Science Center. In the wake of so much destruction Alabama had so much to give these participants in the way of life lessons. It is safe to say that each participant received more than they gave during their Alternative Spring Break.

Jonesville, Virginia

Thirteen participants travel to Jonesville, Virginia to rebuild homes in the poverty stricken Appalachia area. They worked with the Appalachia Service Project whose mission is to make homes "warmer, safer, and drier." The ASB participants worked with two families who needed assistance to make their homes livable. They constructed a porch and fixed a sinking floor for Mr. Columbus, an elderly man with a disabled son living with him. Their previous porch was rotted through and Mr. Columbus' son had fallen through and injured himself. The work crew from ASB made it possible for this family to walk through their home and exit it safely without the fear of falling. The participants also helped an elderly woman named Bertha, who had multiple health problems along with income below the national poverty rate. Bertha and her son live in a home that has a lead paint exterior, and an interior that is literally pulling away at the seams. Insulation is exposed and hanging from various point inside her home. ASB installed new windows that would keep her home warmer, as well as installing siding to make her home safe from moisture and mold. Working with these poverty-stricken families and experiencing the beautiful Appalachian Mountains was life changing for the ASB members who made countless unforgettable memories and friendships.

Memphis, Tennessee

La Bonheur Children’s Hospital located in the heart of Memphis, Tennessee is a leader in pediatric clinical care and research.  Over spring break, 11 members of ASB had the opportunity to assist with the hospitals incredible volunteer services. Members brought happiness to patients, their parents, and the hospital staff by providing helpful services. Such services included baby hugging, unit buddies, arts and crafts cart and hospitality cart, as well as assembling and distributing welcome bags. Bonds were formed between ASB members and children patients that will never be forgotten. In addition to volunteering, ASB members attended the National Civil Rights Museum at The Lorraine Motel where a memorial is attributed to Martin Luther King Jr.