Alternative Island

Community-minded students at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College are finding out that one act can make a difference.

That's one of the tenants of UTB-TSC's Center for Civic Engagement and the theme for this week's Alternative Spring Break, which continues through Thursday.

"I enjoy building homes and this was similar to times past when people banded together to build each other's homes," Bryan Avila said late Tuesday morning after helping frame a house in the In Wood Subdivision off F.M. 802 north of Dana Road.

Students spent the morning helping out on a project of the Community Development Corp. of Brownsville. The CDCB is helping low-income residents realize the dream of homeownership through innovative financing that allows them to lower costs by doing some of the work themselves.

About 25 students participating in Alternative Spring Break helped out on Tuesday, doing carpentry work, preparing a driveway to have concrete poured and tacking up black felt on a home that was ready to be bricked.

It didn't matter that they didn't know whose homes they were working on.

"It's fun being able to help and it's nice to know we helped a low-income family get their home together," said Estela Martinez, a sophomore business major.

Avila, who is a senior international business major, said he participated in last year's Alternative Spring Break and was looking forward to using his carpentry skills.

On Monday, the students traveled to the area on McAllen Road just south of Morrison Road to do cleanup work. It was an eye-opener.

Picking up trash along the roadway and next to a drainage canal, no one reported finding anything too large, just small piles of trash left behind by someone who thought no one would notice.

"We're here because we want to make a difference in our community, even a small difference," said Carolina Rodriguez, who organized the events for The Center for Civic Engagement.

"Picking up our own little areas it made 15 bags of trash," said Yaidra Gonzalez, a sophomore in international business.

Dalilah Garcia of the CCE said Monday's activities pointed out the need for recycling in Brownsville. The city now has 19 locations that accept recyclable materials, including one on the UTB-TSC campus.

"It's way in the back in the corner somewhere, but where is it," she asked. "It's not accessible to the people."

Alternative Spring Break activities continue today at the Brownsville Good Samaritan Center and on Thursday with a lunch party for everyone who volunteered.