Rice University Students Spend Spring Break Volunteering with Homeless in NYC

A Break Well Spent

After hours of studying for mid-terms and adding the final touches to projects, the most euphoric thing a college student looks forward to, is their spring break vacation. Many choose to indulge in the tranquility of warm beaches and enjoy cool, salty swims. Others opt for colder temperatures, flying on skis at breakneck speeds. And some simply enjoy the cozy comforts of home. A break is a break though, no matter how one chooses to spend it.

The same cannot be said for those participating in a different option offered by many schools, known as Alternative Spring Break (ASB). Students partaking in these programs sacrifice their vacation, and instead, choose to spend their week away from school learning about timely and significant social issues.

This past week, about a dozen students from Rice University in Houston, Texas made the 1,600+ mile journey to New York City, to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the intersection between mental health and homelessness.

As part of their intensive, week long immersion in the topic, these students volunteered at Care For the Homeless’ (CFH) Susan’s Place Women’s Shelter and at our 33^rd Street Offices, where they assisted with healthy eating/nutrition education events and packed 340 winter-clothing-kits, respectively.

Now, this wasn’t the only trip these students could’ve taken. Rice University’s ASB program offers a generous amount of opportunities for students to participate in, including hurricane relief, maternal mortality, clean water initiatives, and immigration. So, not only did these students choose to spend their vacations in the service of others, they consciously made the decision to work with those experiencing homelessness.

Junior McKinzie Chambers, a Political Science and Business Double Major, spoke on this, commenting, “I’m looking toward my future and I figured out that I want my career to be social services based. My brother Adam is a Case Manager with SEARCH, a homeless housing agency in Houston. A big part of his job is finding housing for people. So, on a personal level, I wanted to feel close to him and what he does because he’s so passionate, but I also wanted to learn for myself about how the system works in NYC. I want to understand what works here (and in Houston) so that I can try to help my city in any way that I can.”

Similar perspectives and motivations were shared by fellow Junior, Preetham Bachina. A Biology Major, he recounted his experiences growing up in California’s Bay Area, saying, “I remember being told to just ignore people experiencing homelessness and keep to myself. That stigma has always bothered me because it dehumanizes an entire group of people. People who probably need help the most. I know that to enact meaningful change on the world, you need to be educated on social issues. I’m seriously considering a career in research, so I’m hoping that education like this will help me be more socially conscientious about my own work.”

In addition to this dehumanizing stigma, is the harmful misconception that all instances of homelessness can be fixed by the same means. One of the most significant takeaways Rice students had, was the observance that the concept of a “one-size-fits-all model” just doesn’t work. “Everyone’s situation is unique and complex,” said Chambers.

Junior Sam Cheng, a Computer Science and Theater Double Major, added “Just because people end up experiencing the same condition, doesn’t mean that they took the same route to get there. What works for a person with a mental health issue may not work the same for a person who just took a wrong turn somewhere in life.”

Throughout the rest of the week, Sam, McKinzie, Preetham, and their fellow classmates will strive to tear down that stigma and understand as many perspectives as possible. In addition to their time with CFH, they’ll be volunteering with various other organizations working to end homelessness, including the NYPD and the NYC Department of Homeless Services’ homeless outreach team.

When asked about how the trip had been thus far, Chambers reflected, “It’s about looking beyond yourself. If you’re trying to sort out something about your future or find yourself, which a lot of college students are, then I think an ASB is a great way to do that. You get an amazing group of friends and you get to step out of your comfort zone.”

We couldn’t agree more.

Students from Rice University have now volunteered with CFH for close to half a decade as a part of the school’s ASB program. These intelligent and passionate students exemplify what it means to strive for genuine social change. And as the students themselves stated, changing the prejudiced perceptions surrounding homelessness is an essential first step we must all take in order enact that change.

In case you haven’t seen it, this video illustrates the important role healthcare plays in tearing down those harmful misconceptions and how we at CFH facilitate it.

By Connor T. Moriarty