Waking up early and spending a week living and volunteering with a nun isn't part of most college students' Spring Break trips. But for a select group of Boston College students, this is exactly what their Spring Break experience entailed as part of the Gimme-A-Break Service Program, one of the lesser-known service opportunities here at BC.

Gimme-A-Break is run by the nuns of the Congregation of Notre Dame and was first organized in 1994 by Sr. Mary Ann Rossi, CND, when she sent 14 students from the University of Scranton to Waterbury, Connecticut to stay with several sisters' communities and work at Children's Community School.

In 1998 former campus minister Sr. Joan Mahoney, CND, brought Gimme-A-Break to BC. Since then, BC has successfully sent students each year to various sites throughout the United States and Canada to work and live for a week with sisters of the CND.

This year, under the direction of Sr. Marilyn Medinger, CND and program assistant Ms. Jackie Rohrer from BC who was supported by student leader Ashley Goebertus, British Columbia had 15 student participants. Along with two students from St. John's University, one from the University of Scranton, and one from St. Joseph's University, the volunteers were divided among nine placements including North Carolina, Connecticut, New York, British Columbia, South Dakota, Florida, Montreal, and Quebec.

Experiences ranged from working in schools with children and volunteering at soup kitchens to working in Harlem with the STEPS to End Domestic Violence program. In addition, there were two placements on Native American reservations.

Gimme-A-Break is unlike many other service opportunities at BC because students typically travel and work with only one or two people rather than in large groups. "Students develop a solid relationship with who they travel and work with," said Jackie Rohrer.

Although Campus Ministry helps with aspects of the trip, the program is very loosely affiliated with Campus Ministry. For this reason, students raise their own money for the trip and book their own travel arrangements. This year, for fundraising purposes, the volunteers held a pasta dinner, helped with concessions at athletic events, and helped clean around the BC community. In addition, the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame gave BC a grant to cover some of the travelling expenses.

Interested students must fill out an application and schedule an interview. "Any volunteer that shows an interest and passion for serving is welcome," said the program’s director. She said that over the years, the passion and enthusiasm of the students have not changed. "That is what keeps the program running."

Much of this enthusiasm comes from the sisters themselves because they are both passionate and compassionate. "They are lighthearted, hilarious, and funny," a collaborator said. "They like to have fun."The students agree. "The nuns flooded us with this warm welcome; after one week they were like a grandmother."

Chris, who went to Waterbury, CT, said he participated this year because, "it was an opportunity to go where need was present." He helped teach and spent time with first and second graders, most of whom have unstable home lives. "It was a powerful experience for me to be a part of," he said.

Angela, a young woman who volunteered on a Native American reservation in Canim Lake, British Columbia, agreed, saying it was a great experience to be "immersed in the culture." She worked with fifth, sixth, and seventh grade students and experienced many of their customs through community activities such as a dance and a retreat with seventh through 12th graders. "It was one of the most amazing experiences I've had. I would recommend this to anybody."

Claire, also volunteered on a reservation in Red Cloud, South Dakota. Although she went into the program "not knowing what to expect" and was surprised to see problems such as unemployment, gangs, alcoholism, and crime on the reservation, she said that her experience teaching third graders in a Jesuit mission school on the Lakota tribe reservation was rewarding. "It is a beautiful culture. The kids were so sweet. You definitely develop a relationship with them."

She said it was interesting to hear about the other volunteers' trips because everyone had "different experiences with the same thread." One common thread is that each student had a unique experience volunteering and living with the sisters of the CND. "It was so much more than I could have expected," said Chris. "It was truly a wonderful spring break."

Adapted from Meredith Stoffel’s article - The Heights, 2003/04/22 issue
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