While some students are packing their swimsuits and sunscreen for a week of spring break paradise, several groups of Simpson students are packing their work clothes for a week of service and fun.

Several campus groups have organized spring break service trips to provide students with the opportunity to escape snow-covered Iowa and spend time doing volunteer work in cities around the country.

“People will be amazed at what they can get out of this experience,” said senior Michelle Wentworth.

In Denver, Colo., Simpson students will be working at Project C.U.R.E. and will assist in shipping surplus medical supplies to Third World countries in order to help save lives.

They will also be working with young adults with multiple sclerosis and other neurological disabilities at the Adult Day Enrichment Program. Students will also serve a meal to the homeless at the Love Kitchen.

Chicago spring break travelers will spend the majority of their week with the agency Marcy-Newberry Association Incorporated working with children. They will also spend a day at the cultural museum.

Some students will be traveling to Washington, D.C., to spend time touring the highlights of the nation’s capital such as the White House, Supreme Court, and the monuments. There will also be service opportunities and visits to the Holocaust Memorial Museum.

While in El Paso, Texas, Simpson students on board will be interacting with students at Lydia Patterson, as they take the opportunity to get to know them students attend some of their classes.

Students traveling to Amarillo, Texas will have the opportunity to show off some building skills as they help build a house for Habit for Humanity.

The Rev. George Boyd will lead students on a trip to Cleveland, S.C. Here they will be canoeing, hiking, camping and a variety of other outdoor activities that are intended to challenge them physically, mentally and spiritually.

“I wanted the opportunity to help people,” said sophomore Erika Nielsen. “I thought it would be a very fulfilling experience.”

Along with spending a week in service to others, travelers will be spending time with students they may not otherwise interact with.

“Students will get to meet other people from campus,” said Wentworth. “They spend a week with people they might not know very well so it’s a chance to meet new people.”

And of course, the change in weather is a welcome advantage.

“I thought it would be fun to be involved in building a house for a family that really needs it,” said Nielsen. “And it doesn’t hurt that the weather will be a nice change of pace.”