While many college students take spring break to travel or relax, some Fresno State students are spending the week volunteering their time to support the local community.<\/p>\n
Early Monday morning, a group of students gathered at Shinzen Garden inside Woodward Park to begin clearing leaves from the bamboo grove as part of Fresno State’s Alternative Spring Break Program.<\/p>\n
“I was basically just cleaning up the leaves around here, trying to make it look a little more attractive, just because there was a lot that fell down here,” said Jacob Henderson, a site lead for the project.<\/p>\n
Henderson and Imaandeep Bual led nine other Fresno State students during the cleanup.<\/p>\n
The Alternative Spring Break Program is hosted by the Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning.<\/p>\n
For Bual, the project was especially meaningful.<\/p>\n
He volunteered at Shinzen Garden while he was in high school and jumped at the opportunity to return as a leader.<\/p>\n
“When they offered this position I was like ‘Wow, I can be a leader and, at the same time, do something I enjoyed previously,’ so I took up the opportunity,” he said.<\/p>\n
The group is spending three days working on habitat restoration, native wildlife preservation and education site development.<\/p>\n
Now in its 16th year, the Alternative Spring Break program focuses on building leadership and communication skills while helping students enhance their personal and professional development.<\/p>\n
Henderson said contributing to the garden was rewarding, even though the site is already well maintained.<\/p>\n
“It’s really nice to be able to help out here, make it look a little nicer than before because it still looks really nice here,” he said.<\/p>\n
Bual said he hopes their work inspires others to volunteer.<\/p>\n
“Volunteering is a very selfless act and once you do it, you feel really good about yourself that there was nothing in it for you, except really helping out other people and trying to make some new friends,” he said.<\/p>\n
This group is one of three participating in the program this spring break.<\/p>\n
Combined, the student volunteers are expected to complete more than 600 hours of community service.<\/p>\n
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