L.O.V.E.: Service Trips

As Manhattan College's service-immersion program, L.O.V.E. provides unique service and social-justice travel experiences. All currently enrolled Manhattan College students are encouraged to apply to participate in a L.O.V.E. trip.

  • LOVE Program: Service-Immersion Trip

    The Lasallian Outreach Volunteer Experience (L.O.V.E.) is a service immersion program that takes place domestically and abroad during winter, spring, and summer breaks. Participants learn about social justice in preparation for their experience. On the trips, students are immersed in the local community through experiences with partner organizations. Students are encouraged to bring what they experience back to campus to engage in local service and advocacy.
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Experiences

LOVE service immersion experiences take place over Winter, Spring & Summer breaks in locations both domestically and abroad.

  • Winter Break

    LOVE Duran, Ecuador with Rostro de Cristo

    December 16 - 23, 2018

    Rostro de Cristo’s  mission is to provide spiritual and educational opportunities in Ecuador. The program invites participants to live simply, build relationships with the Ecuadorian people and reflect on the Face of Christ in their joys and struggles. Participants will learn about the internal migration taking place in Ecuador because residents are searching for access to resources in the cities, which has led to the creation of “invasion communities”. The idea is not to do for but be with the people of Duran. 

    LOVE El Paso, Texas with El Otro Lado

    January 6 - 13, 2019

    El Otro Lado (EOL) El Paso, is a Lasallian border immersion experience which centers on going “beyond the borders” of our consciousness to get a better understanding of those living along the margins. EOL is an immersion program that exposes participants to the many issues related to border realities such as; immigration, unaccompanied minors, youth at risk, political asylum seekers, human trafficking and the complex cultural dichotomy of the El Paso and Ciudad Juarez borderland. Participants learn about the unique culture of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, interact with people in the borderland, listen to their stories, and share in the experiences of their day-to-day lives. Representatives from various organizations from both sides of the border such as Border Patrol and grassroots organizations will be hosting different sessions throughout the week to give participants and overall picture of the borderland. 

    LOVE New Orleans, Louisiana with United Saints Recovery Project

    January 6 - 13, 2019

    Working with United Saints Recovery Project, the group will continue to help with the rebuilding of homes destroyed or damaged in Hurricane Katrina. While in New Orleans you will help out with hands-on rebuilding projects such as roofing, painting, etc. You will meet with representatives from various community organizations that work in the community to hear their stories and experiences.  You will also learn more about the social justice issues that are associated with the disaster of Hurricane Katrina as well as the recovery efforts. 

    LOVE Flint, Michigan with Faith in Flint

    January 6 - 13, 2019

    Faith in Flint is an initiative that brings together several ministries to serve the community and create systematic change. On this experience,  students will be exposed to issues of urban poverty, education, homelessness, economic justice, racial justice, as well as the impacts of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Students will encounter these issues through community building and service at local community partner organizations in the city.

  • Spring Break

    LOVE Browning, Montana with the De La Salle Blackfeet School

    March 16 - 23, 2019

    Participants of LOVE Montana are immersed in life on the Blackfeet Native American Reservation and De La Salle Blackfeet School. Participants will engage with students at the De La Salle Blackfeet School, spend time with De La Salle Christian Brothers and Lasallian Volunteers, and learn about the Blackfeet culture. This trip will give participants an opportunity to be immersed in this culture and learn about ways in which poverty affects this community, as well as the resilience of this community.  Participants will also engage in evening reflections throughout the experience and hear speakers from the Blackfeet community talk about their challenges and the uniqueness of their culture.

    LOVE Kingston, Jamaica with Mustard Seed Communities

    March 16 - 23, 2019

    Mustard Seed Communities serves over 500 children, young adults, and families who belong to the most vulnerable groups in Jamaican society. The populations in Mustard Seed homes include children and young adults with disabilities as well as children affected by HIV/AIDS. MSC Jamaica also manages a number of community outreach programs to combat poverty and provide education to local populations. Participants will gain a greater understanding of justice issues of poverty, access to healthcare and disability through immersion in the daily life of the Mustard Seed community.

    LOVE Bethlehem with Bethlehem University

    March 15 - 23, 2019

    Participants spend one week in the Holy Land learning about the rich culture of the three major Abrahamic religions. Participants will visit two schools of the De La Salle Christian Brothers, the Freres Lasallian School in Jerusalem and Bethlehem University in Bethlehem. Students will have a chance to meet with faculty and students to learn about their work, lives, and relationships they have established with the communities there. Participants will also meet with Catholic Relief Services and see firsthand the work they are doing with communities in Palestine. 

    LOVE El Cercado, Dominican Republic with San Pedro y Pablo

    March 16 - 23, 2019

    Students live and work at a retreat center in El Cercado. You will work with community organizations focusing on health, agriculture and education.  San Pedro y Pablo organizes and empowers a network of faith based communities. Together they organize themselves and work to enhance education, protect natural resources, illuminate their self dignity, advocate for social justice, and promote equality and basic rights in their community.  

  • Summer Break

    LOVE Chicago, Illinois with the Brother David Darst Center

    May 19 - 26, 2019

    The Brother David Darst Center provides transformative urban immersion experiences in the Lasallian tradition. The experience allows students to explore issues of justice and the reality of oppression. Through partnerships with local agencies, participants are able to get to know people, to challenge stereotypes, and be open to new experiences. As a participant, you are fully immersed in urban life, and address core issues such as homelessness and poverty. This trip is a great way to see the social injustices that are prevalent in American cities and reflect upon the root causes. 

    LOVE Tucson, Arizona with Borderlinks

    May 19 - 26, 2019

    BorderLinks offers experiential learning opportunities that explore the challenges of migration and life along the U.S./Mexico border. BorderLinks provides an educational program focused on exposing participants to a wide range of topics from border history to action planning for social change.  Participants will listen to many different voices and hear the stories of people who are impacted by border and immigration policies in a variety of ways. Students will be encouraged to think critically and intersectionally about solutions to the root causes of migration. 

    LOVE Homestead, Florida with the La Salle Educational Center Homestead

    May 19 - 26, 2019

    On LOVE Florida, you have the opportunity to engage with migrant farmworker families at the La Salle Educational Center in Homestead, Florida, outside of Miami. Participants will share meals with residents of the community and hear their stories. They will also meet with community partners engaging with issues of immigration, farmworkers rights, and food justice in the local community. In the afternoons group members  will serve the after school program through providing tutoring and recreational activities for the students.

Apply

Application Procedure:

  1. Submit a $25 refundable (if not placed on an LOVE experience at this time) deposit at the time of your application. You can pay via check made out to Manhattan College placed in an envelope and dropped of in the Social Action Suite, located in the Kelly Student Commons, 2.03., or online at connect.manhattan.edu/love and put your name and "LOVE DEPOSIT" in the comment field. 
  2. Submit the below application by 11:59 p.m. on the posted due date.
    • Spring Break: Tuesday, October 9, 2018.
  3. The LOVE administrators and student leaders will review all applications and place students on a particular experience. Anyone who is not able to be placed on an experience at this time will be notified via email.
  4. Students who are selected for an experience will attend the Navigating LOVE session. Students will have an orientation to the program, discover which experience they will be participating in, and meet the other participants. If a student is not selected for an experience at this time, they will recieve an email the Monday following the application deadline. 
    • Spring Break: Tuesday, October 16, 2018 from 3:30 – 5:30pm. 
  5. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jacquie Martin at jacquie.martin@manhattan.edu or 718-862-7477
  6. Applications will not be considered until all requirements are fulfilled. 

Apply Now

Justice is what love looks like in public!

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