Students to help rural communities of central Pa. during break

Fine Arts graduate student Bob Kim has never slept in a barn, but during Spring Break he will have that chance for five nights. But don't expect Kim to be frolicking in the hay. And while only the three male students will be banished to the barn, program organizer Bob Cardie of the Newman Center said Tuesday that everyone participating will come together during the day to work with the impoverished communities to alleviate the despair which pervades the region. Cardie said participants will travel to various sites in the area, including a shelter for homeless women and children and the homes of "shut-ins" whose poor health keeps them inside. Students will also assist a local Meals on Wheels program and help with home repairs, he added. The purpose of leaving Philadelphia -- a city with its share of problems -- for a remote town tucked away deep in the Appalachian Mountains is to show students that social problems are not confined to cities, Cardie said. "It's a good experience for students to see what poverty is like outside of the city," he said. "It is a completely different thing." Students participating in the program said they do not mind sacrificing the creature comforts of home for the chance to help others and broaden their own experiences. "I've always wanted to do something like this," College freshman Beth Penders said. "I just think it will be a really rewarding experience to get in touch with a different world." "I really want to be able to help people," agreed Kim. "I'm looking forward to the experience." Cardie said although the program is being organized by the Newman Center, students are paying the $85 cost with their own money. He added that several students from Fordham University, in New York City, will accompany the group to Frenchville.

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