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Are you interested in serving our universal Church internationally during your spring break trip?
Haiti:
Students who travel to Haiti for Spring Break will be helping in our twin parish in Saltadere, Haiti. Work will include some maintenance work with the school and rectory as well as rewiring the computer lab and taking inventory in the clinic. One program that is conducted is having the children make sketches of Saltadere. Then, when the team gets back to the states, greeting cards are made of of the drawings which are then sold to raise money for the school. More information will also be added as deadlines get closer. The cost of the trip is in the $700-$900 range.
Jamaica:
Students who travel to Jamaica for Spring Break will be working with an organization called Mustard Seed in Montego Bay, Jamaica at the Blessed Assurance Orphanage. Here, 35 residents live, love, and grow together. The residents of this home have a wide range of physical and mental challenges including schizophrenia, autism, hydrocephalus, and cerebral palsy among many others. During our time here we will be devoting our time to the residents and the staff, helping in anyway we can by doing laundry, helping with feedings or changing diapers, and by spending time sitting, playing, and developing relationships. Around 13 students will be accepted for this trip, and the cost is $1,518.70 (flights, food, housing included).
Here's what UVA alum Maria Wnorowski had to say about her trip to Haiti:
"Whenever people ask me my favorite part of my past 4 years at UVA, my involvement with Saltadere, Haiti is always one of my first answers. St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlottesville and St. Michael in Saltadere have been twin parishes for over 15 years. I became involved with the Haiti Committee during my second year of college and was privileged enough to lead the trip this past year. Each year, the trip takes on a different meaning. This past March, we were able to take part in the dedication of the medical clinic the two parishes have been working on. The bishop of Hinche, Bishop Désinord Jean, took part in the dedication and there was a village wide celebration. It was one of the most beautiful events I have ever been a part of. We also went on several hikes as well as spent some time in the new clinic and the Catholic school. It is by and far one of my favorite places and somewhere I will definitely be returning to, hopefully sooner rather than later!"