Spring Break in contemporary American vernacular generally conjures up images of fun in the sun, relaxation and wild parties. To the contrary, nearly 80 Wittenberg students spent their vacation in the hurricane-ravaged United States gulf coast region, participating in a pair of Spring Break trips focused on charitable volunteer work.

As part of “What a Relief,” a national effort organized by Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR), 26 Wittenberg students and five staff members joined 1,100 volunteers representing more than 60 academic institutions in the gulf coast from March 5-10. One of five universities in the state of Ohio participating in the relief effort, Wittenberg sent students to Biloxi, Miss., one of four designated work sites for the LDR relief effort in Mississippi and Alabama.

An additional 50 Wittenberg students participated in an even larger relief effort through the national organization Campus Crusade for Christ. Members of the affiliated Wittenberg organization, Primetime, traveled to Pass Christian, Miss., to join more than 6,000 college students representing more than 100 universities. This relief effort was spread out among several locations, including New Orleans and Slidell, La.

The Wittenberg contingent also included one student from another college that is not participating, two community volunteers and a Campus Crusade for Christ staff member. The entire party rode a chartered bus to and from Mississippi thanks to private donations.

University Pastor Rachel Tune, Director of Community Service Kristen Collier and Laura Seaman, an Americorps VISTA volunteer in the Community Service Office, helped to organize both trips. The students, however, displayed significant initiative and a heart-warming desire to make a difference.

“Everywhere we went, we wanted to do more,” said Amy Fickert ’08 from Springfield, Ohio. “Talking to the people made it feel so much more real. Being here changed my view. ”Ashley Buroff ’06 from Hilliard, Ohio, agreed.

“The experience expanded my definition of love and made me see a whole new perspective,” Buroff said. “The spirit of the people — they are picking up the pieces and moving on. We left sharing a piece of ourselves with others.”

Pass Christian was one of the hardest hit areas in the entire gulf coast when Hurricane Katrina brought a 38-foot storm surge ashore, destroying more than 70 percent of the homes in the town of approximately 7,000 people.

“The need is so enormous that I can’t imagine not being involved with this relief effort,” Tune said. “Caring for others flows directly from our identity as a university related to the Lutheran church. It’s part of our calling to learn about the world around us, to understand the concerns that others face, and to respond to the neighbor in need — whether near or far — with love and compassion.” n