About 250 Westmont students and community volunteers spent spring break constructing
homes, operating medical and dental clinics, leading a vacation Bible school, running
haircutting clinics and competing in sports events in Ensenada, Mexico. More than
5,000 students have participated in Potter’s Clay since it began 31 years ago. Westmont
students also served with Spring Break in the City (SBIC), volunteering in San Francisco,
and Racial Equality and Justice (REJ), traveling to Jackson, Miss., and Birmingham,
Ala.
Students with SBIC stayed and worked at City Crossroads, a center for multi-ethnic
and low-income families in the inner city. The San Francisco facility provides youngsters
with a safe place for recreation, study, guidance and mentoring. The REJ group marked
its fifth year serving with the John M. Perkins Foundation in Mississippi and learning
about Christian community development and racial and economic justice. Participants
refurbished homes for families as a pathway to home ownership and provided enriching
after-school programs.
Students initiate and lead the projects, and each participant must raise more than
$500.