Students from the University of Missouri are doing something different during their break from school this week. 

The group is spending their winter break volunteering at the Care Lodge Domestic Violence Shelter in Meridian through a program called Mizzou Alternative Breaks.

From Jan. 10 to Jan.19, students are serving 39 community partners in 11 states and the Dominican Republic. Under the program, students participate in service trips for weekend, Thanksgiving, spring, summer and winter breaks, according to the school’s website.

Participants enter communities with the mindset of “serve, don’t help” — one of the program’s guiding principles, the website says. 

The trip to Meridian is the fifth such journey for Cassie Allen, a Mizzou journalism major and site leader. 

“I just really love serving communities,” Allen said. “I serve in my community, and I want to serve in others.” 

Allen said the most beneficial thing she gets from the trips is learning about different places and issues. At Care Lodge, she’s learning about how domestic violence impacts the community. 

Psychology major Molly White wanted her trip to focus on women’s advocacy issues, so she chose Care Lodge. She’s spending her week assisting at the agency’s main office and helping clients at its shelter. 

White said her time in Meridian has given her insight into the issue of domestic abuse.  

“I’ve been learning about domestic violence in general,” she said. “But it makes it feel more real to be here.” 

White said the trip focuses on one of the program’s principles, which is to take what you learn and bring it back to your community.

“Even if we don’t come back to Meridian, we might take these values we learned here and bring them somewhere else,” she said.

Abby Miller, the executive director of Care Lodge, said the school contacted the organization about six months ago. The students’ efforts in Meridian filled a vital role, she said. 

“It’s really encouraging to know there are college students that want to help non-profits, even though they are out of school right now,” Miller said.