Bonner Scholars spring to service in trip to West Virginia

Rider Bonner Community Scholars headed down south during spring break for a week of bonding and service. Fifteen students spent the week building and repairing homes, doing maintenance, and engaging in service projects in West Virginia through local nonprofit Big Creek People in Action.

The Rider Bonner Community Scholar Program is a community service leadership development scholarship program that exposes members to issues of social justice while providing them with hands-on experience to impact their community. The program's motto, “Access to Education — Opportunities to Serve,” held true during this trip. Twelve freshmen and three sophomore leaders worked on various projects, such as restoring a veteran's mobile home, painting a room for a child with heart defects, remodeling a bathroom and repairing a house that had suffered flood damage.

This year, the Bonner Scholars teamed up with Big Creek People in Action, a nonprofit serving the community of McDowell County in West Virginia that encourages self-sufficiency in families. The group assists residents who are challenged by poverty, stress, and geographical isolation. According to the 2014 U.S. Census, War has a population of 1,431 people and a median household income of $20,510. McDowell County, where War is located, has a 34.9% poverty rate. 

“Being all the way in War, W. Va., made me feel completely out of my element,” says freshman Alexis Green, who is from Irvington, N.J. “However, that initial discomfort pushed me to understand the War community, strengthened my ability to adapt to new environments, and ultimately caused me to seek a better understanding of parts of the world that are unfamiliar to me."

Rider Bonner Community Scholars serve in small teams with several community partners to address issues of hunger, homelessness, adult literacy and risk youth — primarily in the Trenton area. This year was their second trip to Appalachia. Through this team-building trip, students received a rewarding experience that gave them the opportunity to learn about history and local and national issues while bonding with each other. Perhaps most importantly, the trip allowed them to learn about themselves. 

“Although these trips are meant for us to do service for others, it is what the people of Appalachia did for me that reminded me again why I do the work I do,” says sophomore leader Gabriela Mendoza. “Service is truly an opportunity for self-discovery and giving and I hold it very close to my heart.”

To learn more about the Bonner Scholar’s Program, please contact Joan Liptrot at [email protected].