Alternative Break

We are seeking $2,500 to support and bolster Emory students’ participation in Alternative Breaks—including transportation, food for participants, and donations to our community partners to help support their missions. Your support will allow us to amplify our impact beyond the Emory community, to reverberate throughout our partner communities and beyond. 

At an average cost of $250 per student to participate in the Alternative Break program, this funding will underwrite full scholarships for up to 10 students or allow up to 40 of our participants to receive some financial assistance.

About Alternative Breaks

Through Alternative Breaks, Emory students embody the university’s mission to create, preserve, teach, and apply knowledge in the service of humanity. Volunteer service provides real-world opportunities for students to learn about pertinent social issues, build new relationships, and grow as catalysts for change.

Serving others is the backbone of true leadership. Through Alternative Breaks, Emory students transform a scheduled mid-semester break into an uncharted learning adventure. By immersing themselves in a community over the course of Spring or Fall Break, students form small teams (about 12 people) to address social justice issues around the state and the southeast. The extended service time provides a deeper connection between students and the community, and which leads to better outcomes for everyone.

History

Alternative Breaks have been taking place at Emory for almost a decade. The Alternative Breaks program was started to engage and challenge students to step beyond campus and Atlanta to engage in the wider community of the South East. 

Examples

An Intersectional Approach to Healthcare Disparities in Charleston

Emory Alternative Break students immersed themselves in the daily activities of Charleston-based clinics that provide free healthcare to underserved communities. Students worked with centers devoted to improving mental health and organizations that help kids and mothers find safe housing, food, and other resources. By transforming their fall break into a difference-making opportunity, students took on the issue of healthcare disparity first-hand.

Homelessness and Gender Inequality in Chattanooga and Nashville

From food insecurity, to inadequate health care and safety, the effects of homelessness are among the most harmful circumstances a human can endure. That's why Alternative Break students traveled to Tennessee to engage with and serve this vulnerable community. Students worked in shelters, food banks, and affordable housing agencies to meet the daily needs of the homeless while building connections through one-on-one interaction.