Volunteer LSU partnered with the San Antonio Food Bank and Gardopia Gardens in Texas to support those less fortunate in the larger San Antonio community over Fall Break.
The organization participates in givebacks every fall break, known as Change Break. Allison Clabes, a senior business student said that this was the first year the organization went to San Antonio, Texas. Clabes serves as the student director of service programs and in charge of planning the event,
“While researching potential partners, I was impressed by the San Antonio Food Bank’s scale and the variety of resources it provides to the community,” Clabes said. “I also saw an opportunity to learn from its programs and bring new ideas back to LSU, particularly for our own food pantry initiatives.”
Clabes also said that she wanted Volunteer LSU to partner with another group to offer an alternative perspective on food insecurity. Gardopia Gardens is an organization focused on both gardening education and making gardening more accessible.
In previous years, Volunteer LSU has gone on the Change Break initiative in cities like Memphis, Tennessee and the Dallas-metro area in Texas, but also in smaller communities.
“Each trip is designed to help students make a difference, learn about a new community and reflect on the impact of service,” Clabes said.
Clabes has been in Volunteer LSU since her freshman year, when she went on a Change Break trip to Cameron, Louisiana. Loving the opportunity to give back to a new community, it inspired her to get more involved with LSU’s Campus Life as a student ambassador.
“As an out-of-state student, I joined my first Change Break hoping to meet people who shared my passion for giving back,” Clabes said. “After participating in four Change Break trips, I have seen how much community can be built through a weekend of service.”
Volunteer LSU also holds initiatives throughout the academic year to help the local campus community. Geaux Big is a four day volunteer initiative connecting students to organizations in the Baton Rouge community. Clabes said that the organization offers these opportunities of service to encourage students to meaningfully find ways to get involved with volunteering.
“These experiences have allowed me to learn about communities beyond my own, grow as a person and leader, and build relationships with people who share my values,” Clabes said. “To me, service is about more than the work we accomplish; it is also about the connections we make, the perspectives we gain and the impact we carry with us long after the trip ends.”
Khloe Brooks, a psychology junior, had her first Change Break in San Antonio, and emphasized the importance of students at LSU volunteering to help other people. She said that many of the organizations and volunteer groups would love to see more people out donating their time to help fight against food insecurity.
“In simple terms, helping those who are less fortunate means to just simply want to see others do better. We never know what life may throw at us, and it’s important to showcase empathy for those in certain situations, and to do our part to help,” said Brooks. “Everyone wants to be included in the benefits of a village, but we all have to take the step and become real villagers firstly.”
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