Students Spend Spring Break Helping Others

18 students from the University of Georgia came to Philadelphia during their Spring Break to help local residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Several students from the University of Georgia skipped the beach and decided to spend their Spring Break in the City of Brotherly Love for a worthy cause.

18 students from the school arrived on Sunday in the Hunting Park section of the city to spend a week as volunteers for the Arc of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Developmental Disabilities Corporation. The students will be working with local residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It’s the fourth year in a row that the University is sending students to Philadelphia. The Hunting Park group is one of 19 teams from the school spending their Spring Break helping others across the country.

“I love it, I work with special needs students at home,” said student Victoria Brickenden. “You’ve got to throw yourself into it and roll with everything.”

The students spent their time dancing, singing and painting with the clients. They also washed cars and cleaned hallways at PDDC. On Wednesday the students will serve as hosts at the Artist Exchange art exhibition at City Hall. 

“I’m helping them but they’re helping me to,” said student Anita Nsubuga. “This is so awesome.”

Staff and clients at PDDC welcomed the students during a Monday morning pep rally. While it was a different kind of party than the ones that some of their peers are attending this Spring Break, the volunteers say it was where they wanted to be.

“Never been to Philadelphia and it seemed like an awesome opportunity,” said student Ward Harmon. “I’ve been to Panama, I’ve done the Spring Break. This is what I wanted to do.”
 

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