Alternative Winter Break Trips

Dates of Travel:  January 12-20, 2013

Project Description: Can you imagine 1,700 homeless, neglected, and abandoned animals in one place? This is the reality at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. Best Friends had its origin in Arizona in the 1970s with a group of animal lovers who were unwilling to accept the conventional wisdom of the time that humane societies and shelters "had no choice" but to kill their unadoptable animals. These dedicated individuals could and would not stand for the common practices and ideologies regarding animal welfare. They created a pilot program through which they rescued animals from kill shelters, rehabilitated them, found them homes, and most importantly gave them hope. No More Homeless Pets became the goal central to Best Friends.

While these unique pets search for their forever homes, they now have a place to call their own in the small town of Kanab, Utah at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Surrounded by beautiful geographic wonders, overlooking the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park along with other national treasures, there could be no better place to truly connect to the environment. Connect by building trails, attending talks regarding issues related to animals, socializing animals to help them become adoptable, and making a best friend for life. The horses, pigs, birds, bunnies, cats, dogs, and many others are waiting for a chance.

In 1990, 15 million animals were killed in shelters. That is double the entire population of NYC. By 2000, this number dropped to 5 million but this is still not good enough. There is so much more work to be done in the world of animal welfare and protection. Become a Best Friend.

Lodging: TBD

Website: http://www.bestfriends.org/index.htm

Transportation:  Air

Cost:  $720 per person for travel, housing, and food (while at the host site) throughout the week of service.

Dates of Travel:  January 12-20, 2013

Project Description: Mobile is a city located at the southern tip of Alabama, right along the Gulf coast. While its location has allowed it to serve as a major port for the state, it unfortunately also made the city susceptible to considerable damage brought on by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and then Hurricane Katrina 2005. These natural disasters exacerbated poverty in the area.

Over past years, Mobile has seen a slight reduction in the overall poverty rate, but it continues to fluctuate around 20%, a higher rate than the state of Alabama as a whole. The percentage of children living in poverty has risen to 29%. There is still much work to be done in order to give youth the environment they need in order to escape their current situations.

As participants of Volunteers of America, we will be working with Habitat for Humanity. We will spend most of our time on home construction and renovation for families which have been impacted by the high level of poverty and crime brought about by natural disasters. Volunteers of America is a movement organized to reach and uplift all people and bring them to knowledge and active service of God. Volunteers of America serves people and communities in need and creates opportunities for people to experience the joy of serving others.

Housing: Church, will be on the floor with sleeping bags.

Website: http://www.voasoutheast.org/

Transportation:  Mini-Vans

Cost:  $400 per person for travel, housing, and food (while at the host site) throughout the week of service.

Dates of Travel:  January 12-20, 2013

Project Description: Joplin, MO is located in “Tornado Alley”, an area of the US frequently hit by tornadoes. On May 22, 2011, a devastating EF-5 tornado touched down in Joplin, ripping through the city and destroying everything in its path. The tornado took 162 lives and caused massive destruction. The members of the community are still suffering from the consequences of that tornado today. Almost 18 months later, more than 450 families are still living in FEMA trailers with no means to rebuild and repair their homes and their lives. Joplin is desperate for volunteers and funds both to help rebuild the homes and surrounding areas and to attempt to be safer and better prepared for future disasters.

On this trip, volunteers from NYU will be working with Americorps and Rebuild Joplin to repair damaged houses and create new, safe, affordable housing in areas where the homes are beyond repair. This disaster relief work will include mainly construction work but does not require volunteers to be skilled or experienced. The work that we will do will directly help families who are attempting to find stability.

Lodging: TBD

Website: http://rebuildjoplin.org/

Transportation:  Mini-Vans

Cost:  $300 per person for travel, housing, food and activities (while at the host site) throughout the week of service.

Dates of Travel:  January 12-20, 2013

Project Description: Salinas, California is at the heart of Monterey County, a region that has a history of being particularly vulnerable to economic downturns. During the Great Depression and the recent recession, the region was one of the most hard hit, resulting in the existence of a large homeless population. Dorothy’s Place was established in April of 1982 after a small group of Catholic workers made 65 egg sandwiches, packed them up in the their cars, and distributed them on the streets to aid the homeless population.

Dorothy’s Place serves the marginalized of the Salinas area. Many of these people live on the streets, some in camps near the Salinas River, in cars or in motels. Immersion groups at Dorothy’s will get a firsthand account of poverty and homelessness. Volunteers will cook and serve food to the homeless and get the opportunity to directly interact with the community. They’ll get a chance to share stories, play games and simply talk with the guests at Dorothy’s Place. Volunteers spend time at the Day Room that’s designed to be a place where the volunteers and guests can socialize. Participants will also get the opportunity to work in the only no-questions-asked emergency walk-in shelter for women in Monterey County. The objective of the shelter is to create a safe, non-judgmental, and nurturing space for women.

Lodging:  Local Community Center

Website: http://www.dorothysplace.org/

Transportation:  Air

Cost: $550

Dates of Travel:  January 12-23, 2013

Project Description: This 2-credit service-learning course includes is a two-week service trip to Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. We are partnering with NYU Buenos Aires to provide a rich cultural and educational experience to supplement our service work. We will take an intersectional approach to understand how issues of class, religion, and race affect the lives of people who live outside gender and sexuality binaries. The trip will include an exploration of gender and sexuality-based social justice movements, non-governmental organizations and queer cultures in South-America, while participants get a snapshot of the urban environment of Buenos Aires itself and what progress has been made.

Lodging: Students will stay as a group either in NYU residence halls or at hotel carefully selected by and NYU staff.

Transportation:  Air

Cost:  $2,300 (plus immunizations, passport)

Dates of Travel:  January 12-23, 2013

Project Description: This trip will provide a unique opportunity to learn about the unexposed social issues that Italy continues to face. Students will get first-hand experience in various service-oriented activities as well as an intense education about issues in the realm of childhood development, education, services for the disabled and for the chronically ill, and many more. This trip will be hosted by NYU Florence, which will help provide a rich cultural exchange for participants, and a clear and coherent study of public services and what they offer as well as the gap that non-profits seek to fill.

Lodging: TBD

Transportation:  Air

Cost:  $2,300 (plus passport,)

Dates of Travel:  January12-23, 2013

Project Description: According to the International Labor Organization, there are an estimated four million child laborers in Thailand. Non-governmental organizations claim the numbers are actually much higher. Street children and child workers are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, HIV/AIDS, and child trafficking. The YMCA of Chiang Mai hopes to utilize available resources to provide opportunities for this population.

The primary objective of the Children and Child Workers project in Chiang Mai is to provide education and life skill training to all children. In addition to this, prevention and protection measures to improve the health and quality of life of children are taken. Relevant resources must therefore be connected in order to implement these measures and provide such education and training.

The group for this trip will work with the YMCA in Chiang Mai on their Street Children and Child Workers project. We will help provide basic education, create health awareness, and give basic life skill training to street children and child workers from different communities. With the Child Issues Network we will learn how to advocate for child rights and raise public awareness of these rights. The partnerships with local wats, the Buddhist temples, will be developed and safer employment alternatives for child workers will be researched.

Lodging: TBD

Website: http://www.ymcachiangmai.org

Transportation:  Air

Cost:  $2,995 (plus immunizations, passport, visa)