April 19, 2016
Written by Kayla Lewis, Mizzou Student
While the majority of teens spend Spring Break working or relaxing somewhere warm, Mizzou Alternative Breaks sends 12 students from the University of Missouri on trips around the country to volunteer. Kayla Lewis, a student lead for the 2016 spring break trip to Milwaukee, reflects on her experience volunteering with United Way.
Why did you choose Milwaukee as your destination for the 2016 Mizzou Alternative Break?
We chose Milwaukee as our destination based off of a previous MAB trip the year before. The group came to Milwaukee to work with a fine arts education program and had a wonderful experience. While in search for a service site, we contacted United Way which led us to Nextdoor and Robyn’s Nest!
What kinds of volunteer projects did you complete?
We spent four mornings working in classrooms at Nextdoor, helping teachers with various classroom needs and working with children. In the afternoons, we cleaned books for their Books for Kids program. On Friday, we worked with United Way at Robyn’s Nest. We helped sort clothes, fold clothes, and other various needs during the event.
What did you learn about Milwaukee during your trip?
What I learned about Milwaukee through this volunteer process was how kind the people are. Everyone seemed impressed and grateful that we were giving up our spring break to come and serve those who were willing to let us serve them. I learned so much about this city, how it has changed and how the community functions through the various people I met.
What is a favorite moment from the week?
One of my favorite moments was cleaning books at Next Door. Going through some of the books that I had read when I was younger not only brought back nostalgic memories, but it reminded me of why I was there. I was giving kids the opportunity to build their library that I always had, whereas they would not be able to have it without great programs like these.