By Roger Muñoz

With spring break beginning, many students are looking forward to a recess from classes. However, there is a campus organization offering an alternative to those students looking to give back to the community during their free time.

Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is dedicated to making the most of spring break by volunteering with local nonprofits.

“The ultimate goal of ASB is to provide students with an opportunity to have fun and give back to the community as an alternative to traditional spring break activities,” said Haley Barcus, marketing and public relations coordinator.

­Barcus, a senior majoring in business marketing at Fresno State, said approximately 30 students will commit four days of their spring break to volunteering with two nonprofit organizations.

“There are two projects taking place,” said Barcus. “One at the Fresno Rescue Mission: Rescue the Children, and [one with] the Ronald McDonald House.”

­At the Fresno Rescue Mission site, volunteers will paint and organize rooms and host activities with children. On the final day of activities, participants will also hold an Easter carnival for the children.

At the Ronald McDonald House, volunteers will interact with children while doing crafts, hosting movie nights, a game day and an Easter egg hunt. They will also help in restoration projects such as gardening, clean up and general repair.

The projects will take place April 14-17.

This is the ASB’s sixth year volunteering during spring break. Barcus said over the years, the number of ASB participants has grown. This year, the organization also has increased its promotional efforts.

“One of the challenges is trying to get the word out and making sure that students are aware ASB exists,” said Barcus. “This year, we focused a lot on promoting the program through tabling, social media, posters and word of mouth.”

The increased promotion has paid off, Barcus said. ASB received a large number of student applications.

“Those students that apply are all looking for a meaningful experience and the ability to give back to their local community,” she said.

­The deadline for signing up for this year’s activities has passed, but for those interested in participating next year, Barcus said to keep an eye on the organization’s social media outlets. Find ASB on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fresnostateasb.