Service, Spiritual Reflection
and, Community

Service, spiritual reflection, and community are the three points of focus for the Spring Break Immersion Program.

First, the experience is a service project. There is no typical day in Appalachia or the Gulf Coast: it depends on the specific site. Holy Cross students are asked to paint, staff soup kitchens, visit senior citizen centers, work with local school children, repair homes, and clean up hiking trails.

Student volunteers also stay in a diverse range of housing including volunteer fire stations, homeless shelters, local schools and church basements.

A focus on spiritual reflection is a very important part of the Spring Break Immersion Program. After spending the day working in the community, we return to our provided housing and reflect upon the day. Each person is free to share his or her individual experience with the rest of the group.

Through our week of service, we become an integral part of the local community. Whether the task is large or small, the work being done is appreciated and needed by the people we live and work with.

While we come to share our own gifts and talents with the locals, they too share themselves with us. Not only is community built among Holy Cross students - who may not have known each other before - but community is built from the relationships we make with the residents of the communities.

The project builds community among Holy Cross students is an excellent cross-cultural experience. The Spring Break Immersion Program is an opportunity for students to serve those in need and offers a chance for students act as ambassadors of goodwill for Holy Cross.