Sites

Below are the descriptions of the 39 sites prepared for ASB 2013!  Click on the links below and you will be directed to information on the sites, pictures of past ASB trips, and the partners ASB works with to make our service possible.  Each site is named after a song, and there are new sites (*) and sites that have been around for all 25 years of ASB!  Look through them all to find the ones that suit you.

Please pay attention to the site costs below each site name.  See Financial Policy for information about financial assistance.

A Day in the Life — San Juan, TX
Cost: $300
Site Leaders: Sushma Boppana & Zaz Saclarides
La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE) was formed by the famous social rights activist César Chávez as an organization to empower the lower class to organize itself to fight against the forces that oppress it and to express opinions on the themes that involve its people. With LUPE, participants will learn about community issues and engage with the border community in San Juan, TX on such projects related to affordable housing and land ownership. Participants will also work with La Posada, a shelter for undocumented immigrants who are otherwise homeless or in need of a transitional home. Participants should have an understanding of the Spanish language.

All You Need Is Love — Beaufort, SC
Cost: $255
Site Leaders: Nick Arnold & Lucy Zhou
For participants enthusiastic about serving the underprivileged and eager to work with children, this site will offer both. Located in the Low Country of South Carolina, Beaufort is a community known for its antebellum homes and waterfront beauty. However, many Beaufort residents are gripped by poverty and are struggling to educate their children in an overcrowded school system. During the week, participants will tutor children in elementary school classrooms, getting to know them and serving as friends and mentors. Participants will also tutor and play with children at the Boys and Girls Club of Beaufort. This site has the privilege to make an impact on a unique community that continually confronts issues of religion, race, and poverty in the South.

Animal — Saugerties, NY
Cost: $280
Site Leaders: Mallie Froehlich & Abbie Tolon
Located two hours north of New York City, Catskill Animal Sanctuary provides a safe and loving haven for abused horses and farm animals – animals that have never known warm shelter, spacious pastures, good food, or the touch of a kind hand. Since 2001, CAS has provided refuge for over 1,700 animals and served as a center to raise awareness of animal mistreatment and its impact on all of us. On this site, participants will help out with animal care and building projects and will participate in educational presentations, such as vegetarian cooking classes.

Beautiful Soul — Green Cove Springs, FL
Cost: $255
Site Leaders: Samantha Orland & Taylor Roman
Special needs children and adults sometimes require more help than the public school system can offer. Participants on this site will work with Light House School and Challenge Enterprises to fill in the gaps left by public education. At Light House school participants will work as teachers aides for preschool students with special needs. At Challenge Enterprises participants will work to help provide vocational, residential, and job training to people with disabilities in Northeast Florida.

Big Yellow Taxi — Everglades National Park, FL
Cost: $285
Site Leaders: Laura Sigelmann & Will Yue
Not only one of the most beautiful ecosystems in our country, but also one of the most fragile, the Everglades support rare and endangered species that exist nowhere else in the world. Despite being protected, this environment and its wildlife are faltering from human impact and the ever-encroaching civilization which has pushed the Everglades to the tip of Florida, edging out wetlands which used to cover half of the state. The Everglades are the remaining 1.6 million acres of wilderness at the southern end of Florida with nine distinct habitats. Participants on this site will focus on conservation education and environmental service, which may include manatee watching, snorkeling to observe aquatic restoration, seabird rescue, mangrove planting, working in a recycling center, and coral reef preservation.

Brand New Day — Detroit, MI
Cost: $260
Site Leaders: Reuben Brown & Kate Koschewa
While Detroit was once renowned for its booming car business, Detroit has fallen under the radar as a result of a steep economic decline spanning the past few decades. Over the course of the week, this group will immerse themselves in an urban environment, getting a real taste for community development within the inner city of Detroit. Students on this site will volunteer at a variety of organizations including the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, The Heidelberg Project, and Nortown Community Development Corporation.

Cowboy, Take Me Away — Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, UT/AZ
Cost: $675
Site Leaders: Zach Blumenfeld & Emma Trawick
Situated on the Northern edge of the Grand Canyon, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area preserves and protects 1.2 million acres of the Colorado Plateau, a vast landscape of colorful buttes, mesas, canyons, and cliffs. Arid to semi-arid, the region supports a complex and often fragile ecosystem. A protected site, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area nonetheless suffers from invasive non-native plant species and relies on volunteers to control these species and maintain its visitor-friendly park resources. While camping in this beautiful national recreation area, participants will work with Lonnie Pilkington to protect and beautify the environment.

Feelin’ Alright — St. Louis, MO
Cost: $240
Site Leaders: Heather Dunham & Caroline Walker
St. Louis’ historical College Hill neighborhood has a rich heritage but now finds itself riddled with racial tension and socioeconomic disparities. Participants will work with the Jubilee Christian Development Corporation to restore and rebuild houses in North St. Louis, a largely segregated and impoverished part of the city. Participants will also have the opportunity to engage St. Louis’ growing refugee population, directly assisting them with acclimating to American culture.

Follow Me — White Oak, TN
Cost: $235
Site Leaders: Lauren Rouse & Christina Snider
Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachians, White Oak is a town stricken by poverty and the accompanying social ills of bad health care and poor schools. Participants will learn about issues surrounding poverty and rural medicine and will be exposed to the unique Appalachian culture. This site will work with students in the classrooms at Jellico High School, participating in various in-school and after-school educational and athletic activities. Participants on this site will also shadow doctors at the Day Spring Family Health Center, which provides discounted health care to the White Oak area.

Get Up, Stand Up — St. Paul, MN
Cost: $270
Site Leaders: Allie O’Neil & Naomi Siegel
Tibetans around the world, led by the Dalai Lama, have continued their nonviolent struggle for independence from China for the past 50 years. The Tibetan community in St. Paul, MN is the second largest Tibetan enclave in the United States, and the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress in Minnesota is extremely active. Participants on this site will help prepare for Tibetan National Uprising Day, meet Tibetan monks in a local monastery, work with the Tibetan women’s association, and learn about Tibetan art and culture.

Good Vibrations — Athens, OH
Cost: $250
Site Leaders: Richard Collins & Rebecca Wang
Participants on this site will inevitably feel the “good vibrations” by volunteering with Goodworks, an organization that aids impoverished families and individuals in rural Appalachia. In addition to providing meals, childcare, and love to the residents of the Timothy House shelter, Goodworks also works with the community of Athens County by aiding widows, senior citizens and people with disabilities who are no longer able to care for their property and do not have the income to pay someone to do the work for them.

Hakuna Matata — Seguin, TX
Cost: $280
Site Leaders: Grant Avritt & Daniela Isaza
Southern Animal Rescue Association, SARA, provides homeless companion animals with unconditional life and love in a no-kill shelter which gives food, protection, and care in a permanent, safe, and healthy environment, despite special health needs or temperament. SARA seeks loving, adoptive homes for animals, but when adoption is impossible, the animals live the rest of their natural lives at the sanctuary in the company of other animals and human caregivers. Participants will feed, clean, and socialize with hundreds of dogs, cats, and farm animals ranging from goats to pigs to donkeys just outside of San Antonio, Texas, learning from the experienced staff while living in a literal animal kingdom.

Hangin’ Around — Kyle, SD
Cost: $305
Site Leaders: Angela Luo & Rebecca Reed
Native Americans are now one of the smallest and most forgotten minorities in America. Many still live on reservations with little or no economic development, resulting in a cycle of poverty which remains unbroken for the children that live there. In Kyle, SD, the local population is 95% Lakota Sioux, and the unemployment is high, with median incomes well below the South Dakota average. Participants on this site will help teach students at the Porcupine Elementary School during the day, and in the evenings will get to experience the proud and vibrant culture of the Lakota Sioux.

Help! — Washington, D.C.
Cost: $325
Site Leaders: Molly Morley & Joe Wagner
To delve into the complex issue of homelessness, participants on this site will participate in a week of intense service, education and experiential learning with D.C.’s homeless population. Participants will volunteer at the Father McKenna Center serving meals and spending time meeting homeless men and women. Students will also examine homelessness from a policy perspective, attending speakers’ panels and advocacy workshops. The trip will culminate in the “Urban Plunge,” in which participants will spend 48 hours living homeless on the streets of our nation’s capitol. This is a unique opportunity for Vanderbilt students to gain personal insight into the lives of the homeless, giving each participant a perspective on an issue they are unlikely to ever forget.

Home — Jackson, MS*
Cost: $240
Site Leaders: Christine Ko & Sam Snider
In Mississippi a child is abused or neglected every hour. Participants on this site will work with the Methodist Children’s Home of Mississippi and Operation Shoestring. The Methodist Children’s Home was founded in 1896 as a traditional orphanage. Now they ensure children can grow up in a safe home. Each morning participants will help beautify their 168 acre campus to make sure the children have the best facilities possible. Participants will spend the afternoon with Operation Shoestring tutoring and planning activities for underprivileged middle school students.

How to Save a Life — Boston, MA
Cost: $290
Site Leaders: Matt Genova & Adria Zern
While HIV/AIDS has spread throughout this country and each affected area has grappled with questions of prevention and treatment, Boston has responded in unique and progressive ways. Participants of this site will be able to serve with two organizations, Community Servings and AHOPE, a needle exchange program run by the Boston Public Health Commission. Service at Community Servings and AHOPE will allow participants to directly serve Boston’s HIV+ population, with all the organizations providing experiential learning about the movement against HIV/AIDS in one of America’s largest urban areas.

Jungle Gym — Kansas City, MO
Cost: $270
Site Leaders: Oakleigh Folkes & Ryan Higgins
Poverty is a terrible social ill, but it hits children the hardest both physically and psychologically. Participants on this site will work with Niles Home for Children, which help to house and educate underprivileged children in Kansas City. The Niles Home for Children provides residential treatment, day treatment, and education services to over 150 children with emotional and behavioral difficulties annually. Participants will work both in the educational setting and the residential setting allowing them to work directly with the children and the staff to lend support and needed attention, while gaining insight into the challenges faced by such families.

Just What I Needed — Greenfield, NH
Cost: $290
Site Leaders: Kristin Adams & Vivian Perng
Crotched Mountain Foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization serving children and adults with disabilities and their families since 1953. Their 1,400-acre residential campus includes a school, hospital, outpatient clinic, brain injury center, media center, an athletic complex and New Hampshire’s first wheelchair accessible tree house. Participants will shadow students at the school throughout a day of classes, working as mentors while living alongside wonderful children who are working hard to be able to fit into the outside world.

Lean On Me – Talladega, AL
Cost: $235
Site Leaders: Sylvie Render & Noelle Suarez-Murias
The MGH Special Equestrians Arena was founded by Marilyn and Pat Greene in memory of their daughter Marianna to promote the well-being of students at the nearby Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind (AIDB). After a modest start, this therapeutic riding program now operates out of a 39,000 square foot facility and serves nearly 400 children who are either blind, deaf, or have multiple disabilities. Volunteers with MGH will assist in caring for the horses, as well as working with sensory-impaired children. Additionally, some projects around the arena will be centered on disaster relief following the Alabama tornados earlier this year.

Let Your Love Grow Tall — Chicago, IL*
Cost: $245
Site Leaders: Mark Cherry & Rachel Kane
In 2007 Business Week named East Garfield Park one of America’s most up and coming neighborhoods. While staying in East Garfield Park participants will work with a wide range of community gardens throughout the community. Many of these gardens serve as a way to beautify the area, while others grow fresh produce to feed the surrounding community. Participants will gain an in depth view of how community gardens help inspire a neighborhood.

Like a Prayer — Huntsville, AL
Cost: $220
Site Leaders: Laura Seeberg & Patricia Soo
Destination: Huntsville! Although the original capital of Alabama boasts some of the highest per capita incomes in the state, stubborn pockets of poverty remain. The Lincoln Mill Project – named to recognize the village where mill workers lived 100 years ago – was initiated to break the cycle of poverty. Its mission is to provide whatever it takes for one generation to make it into the middle class. So far, hundreds of volunteers from across the country have renovated mill houses, tutored children, weeded gardens, organized street fairs, and held dance and art camps. Volunteers are still needed to work alongside residents in all of these areas, and interaction within the community will be a top priority.

Love is My Religion — Jamaica
Cost: $925
Site Leaders: Whitley O’Connor & Laura Stelianou
Participants will spend the week working with VIJON, an organization whose primary focus area is education. Most of the work week will be spent assisting in a basic school, not only in the classroom, but also with an infrastructure project that will allow you to truly “leave your mark” on the island. Participants will also learn about the Jamaican culture by participating in nightly cultural activities.

Man in the Mirror — Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $690
Site Leaders: Allie Khodadadi & Aaron Nehamkin
While staying at St. Vincent’s Cardinal Manning homeless shelter and forming relationships with its people, participants will also serve another of LA’s marginalized communities: the terminally ill. Working on behalf of the HIV+ and those living with AIDS, participants will volunteer for Project Angel Food, making meals for individuals who are homebound by disease. This site will also work with Clean Needles Now, an organization that aims to lessen the spread of HIV/AIDS by providing clean needles and other supplies to drug addicts in the LA area.

Open Your Eyes — Clearwater, FL*
Cost: $250
Site Leaders: Sarah Catherine Billups & Aditya Karhade
While working with the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, participants will have the opportunity to learn about all forms of human trafficking, how to identify a potential victim of human trafficking, and victim services. Armed with this information, participants will hit the streets to inform local businesses of this information. Participants will also have a multi-dimensional view of this issue, as they will meet with the FCAHT’s partners tolearn how they combat human trafficking.

Our Town — Portland, OR*
Cost: $690
Site Leaders: Emily Hobbs & Grant Lundahl
Portland is one of the most progressive cities in the country when it comes to sustainable living. With countless non-profits working on preserving the Pacific Northwest, ASB will be working with two of the largest and most prominent in the Portland area- SOLV and the ReBuilding Center. SOLV strives to create a legacy of stewardship within the Portland Community through organizing large volunteer events for Oregonians to work together in preserving where they live. The ReBuilding Center promotes the use of salvages and reclaimed materials by providing alternatives to typical demolition.

Proud to Be an American — Richmond, VA*
Cost: $250
Site Leaders: Melanie Gonzalez & Andrew Hall
The state of Virginia has over 800,000 veterans. Half of these veterans are elderly and need daily assistance. The Sitter and Barfoot Veteran Care Center houses 160 honorably discharged veterans, with 40 beds specifically for those will Alzheimers. Participants will spend time with the veterans and shadow the doctors and nurses. Participants will also work with Lonesome Dove Equestrian Center which uses horseback riding as therapy for mentally and physically disabled veterans.

Save Me, San Francisco — San Francisco, CA
Cost: $690
Site Leaders: Amy Lanza & Taylor Pitt
Situated near the heart of San Francisco’s financial district, the Tenderloin district sits in stark comparison to its surrounding affluent neighborhoods. Although it is a vibrant hub for ethnic diversity, the Tenderloin is also one of the most impoverished and crime-ridden parts of San Francisco. Participants on this site will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the unique culture of the area, as well as come face to face with the realities of life in the Tenderloin. They will work with St. Vincent de Paul of San Francisco which is the largest mission and soup kitchen in the city. With St. Vincent they will visit their Wellness Center which provides a progressive form of treatment for drug and alcohol addicts.

Somebody to Love – Evanston, IL
Cost: $255
Site Leaders: Bryanna Jew & Alok Patel
The plight of children in some urban areas remains a pressing issue in the United States, with abuse, neglect, and a lack of basic resources to promote well-being wreaking havoc on the youngest generation. At the Rice Children’s Center outside of Chicago, students will have the opportunity to volunteer at a facility that serves children with mental, emotional, social, and/or educational problems stemming from these issues. Along with the Children’s Home Aid Society of Illinois, the Rice Children’s Center uses a family-focused approach to give troubled children the opportunity to thrive. Participants will be able to spend time in afternoon and after-school programs with these children, while using their mornings to lend a hand at Connections for the Homeless. Connections provide services to homeless families, and participants will be able to witness firsthand how this organization links families with necessary resources while also directly serving these families.

Suddenly I See — Pittsburgh, PA*
Cost: $240
Site Leaders: David DiPanfilo & Sarah Lavendol
In order to combat the rise of the female population in juvenile delinquent centers, Gwen’s Girls provides preventative services to girls in the Pittsburgh area. Their approach is gender specific, targeting issues that girls uniquely face, in order to help prevent future incarceration. Participants will help Gwen’s Girls work towards empowering girls with effective cognitive, behavioral and interpersonal coping skills so they can lead fulfilling lives.

Sunrise — Tahlequah, OK
Cost: $250
Site Leaders: Hannah Gacke & Sarah Kenny
Combining two highly under-served populations in our country, Native Americans and the elderly, Cherokee Elder Care goes about its work with a unique mission: keep each person it serves in his or her home for the last years of their lives. Participants on this site will have the opportunity to jump into Cherokee culture at the local cultural center, to gain an understanding of the context in which Cherokee Elder Care operates and deepen their understanding of the modern Cherokee experience. They will also participate in home visits, assist individual members of the elderly Cherokee community and hold activities for the community that Cherokee Elder Care serves.

Teenage Dream — Denver, CO
Cost: $305
Site Leaders: Kevin Brenner & Olivia Rosenberg
Florence Crittenton Services of Colorado’s primary goal is to help teen parents raise healthy families. Through a variety of programs offering support for teen parent, Florence Crittenton empowers struggling teen families to be productive members of the community. Volunteers will have the chance to work in the Early Childhood Center classrooms, interact with the families, and help organize the variety of spaces used for the children and parents.

That’s Why God Made Mexico — Brownsville, TX
Cost: $320
Site Leaders: Laura Chahin & Paul Minetos
Millions of people immigrate to the United States each year looking for opportunity, family, or to flee political and social upheavals. Many of these people are either too poor or uneducated to go through a complex naturalization process and end up in poverty on one side of the border or the other. Participants on this site will have the opportunity to truly make a difference in these peoples’ lives. La Esperanza, a home for young boys detained at the border, is an incredible organization devoted to providing these children with the help they need until they are placed back with their families. Participants will work directly with these boys both in and out of the classroom, teaching English, math, and basic sciences. Additionally, they will work with Brownsville Youth Build to provide affordable housing and basic education for troubled youth. Participants should have an understanding of the Spanish language.

Up on the Ridge — Rocky Knob, VA
Cost: $255
Site Leaders: Scott Head & Andrew Koepp
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a national parkway and all-American road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles, mostly along the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains. Participants on this site will volunteer with the Rocky Knob Chapter of FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway, a nonprofit, volunteer organization that is dedicated to preserving and protecting the Blue Ridge Parkway. FRIENDS programs focus on preservation, protection and education. Students will do trail work, learn about, and experience the culture of the Appalachian people.

Walking On Sunshine — Granada, Nicaragua
Cost: $850
Site Leaders: Valerie Coimbra & Jennifer Grasch
La Esperanza Granada is a volunteer group focusing on children’s education. Volunteers will go out into rural schools and assist the teachers, tutor young children, run sports programs, introduce children to computers, and help stimulate an interest in learning. Participants will stay on site and should develop a strong connection with the assigned program over the course of the week. Participants should have an understanding of the Spanish language.

Welcome, This is a Farmhouse — Wellington, CO
Cost: $350
Site Leaders: Jake Brady & Dasha Klebaner
Harvest Farm is a branch of the Denver Rescue Mission, an organization that provides various outreach programs to men, women, and families. The farm, located 40 miles north of Denver, is a program dedicated to rehabilitating men who are recovering alcoholics and drug addicts. As residents, the men engage physically, mentally, and emotionally, working on the farm while taking addiction education classes. Participants will take part in all aspects of daily life on the farm, ranging from hands-on work to attending a class to sharing meals with the residents, with the beautiful Rocky Mountains in the distance. This site offers the unique opportunity to participate in physical service while interacting with the men on the farm who eagerly share their life stories and goals.

Welcome to Atlanta — Atlanta, GA
Cost: $235
Site Leader: Cozy Ruan & Chris Xin
More children live in poverty in Atlanta than in any other city in the United States. Participants on this site will volunteer with the Atlanta Community Food Bank, participating in a Hunger 101 session at the beginning of the week to set up their service. Throughout the week they will spend their time at ACFB’s community gardens and food distribution centers to see what their organization is doing to combat hunger in the Atlanta area. Additionally participants will spend time at Argyle Elementary School learning about their free and reduced lunch program and tutoring the students.

Welcome to the Jungle — Patillas, Puerto Rico*
Cost: $925
Site Leaders: Roo George-Warren & Gilda Naka
With Tropic Ventures and Las Casas de la Selva Rain Forest Enrichment Program participants will work on 1000 acres near the Carite State Forest. Tropic Ventures researches how to make rainforests ecologically and economically sustainable for timber production.  While working with Tropic Ventures participants will help with all aspects of the project, ranging from forestry and nursery work to erosion control giving participants an in depth look at sustainable practices for using rainforest resources.  Please note:  participants on this site do not need to have an understanding of the Spanish language and only need a government-issued ID, not a passport, to travel to Puerto Rico.

Work It Out — Douglasville, GA
Cost: $240
Site Leaders: Jonathan Beltran & Bonnie Williamson
Youth Villages – Inner Harbour is dedicated to helping youth and families confront and respond to life’s challenges in a safe and unique environment. This campus specializes in treating children and adolescents with significant psychiatric illness and behavioral, emotional or social impairment, but tackles each obstacle in a unique way. As a residential treatment center, Inner Harbour offers full educational services along with immersing young people in activities ranging from African drumming to rock climbing to art classes to horseback riding, all of which serve to challenge and build them socially, emotionally, mentally and physically. Participants will have the opportunity to participate in classes alongside the Inner Harbour residents and develop relationships through this shared experience, while also assisting in campus up-keep projects throughout the week.

You Make My Dreams Come True — Albuquerque, NM*
Cost: $290
Site Leaders: Adesewa Adelekun & Ryan Planchard
Extreme Makeover: ASB Edition. While in Albuquerque participants will work with Presbyterian Hospital and Special Spaces. At Presbyterian Hospital participants will have the chance to volunteer in a hospital setting, working with many different aspects of the hospital. Participants will also spend two days with Special Spaces. While there the students will work to completely makeover a room for a child with a life threatening illness in order to give them their dream bedroom.