What It's All About

From the Regal to the Rotten Peaches of the South, What Happened? Food Security and Socioeconomic Equity in Atlanta, GA

With 25% of its population living below the poverty line, the Big Peach has a BIG problem. Not only are individuals and families struggling financially, they are unable to find enough healthy food to support an active, healthy lifestyle. An astounding 30% of residents in Georgia's Fulton County (home to Atlanta) live in an area classified by the USDA as a food desert, meaning they live more than 1 mile away from a supermarket with fresh, healthy, and affordable food.

Fifteen students from the University of Maryland are going to be spending their spring break delving into the root causes of food insecurity and socioeconomic equity in Atlanta, GA. We will be working with a variety of community organizations to learn about and tackle the troubles facing Atlanta’s vulnerable population. From Atlanta Community Food Bank to The Initiative for Affordable Housing and many organizations in between, the week will be packed with a multitude of opportunities to get our hands dirty and learn about the socioeconomic equity gap in Georgia’s capital city and the hometown of the Break Away Movement.

We can't wait to embark on this journey in just a few short weeks! Check back shortly to read about which amazing students will be participating this year!

About UMD Alternative Breaks:

Sponsored by the Adele H. Stamp Student Union-Center for Campus Life, Alternative Breaks (AB) coordinates substance-free, community service-learning trips during the university's winter, spring, and summer breaks. AB participants travel locally, nationally, and internationally in teams to engage in active service and gain new perspectives on social issues while meeting community needs and learning about and building upon community assets.
Students address social issues that include disaster relief, environmental restoration, HIV/AIDS, education, homelessness, healthcare, poverty, and immigration. AB's main goal is to educate participants about the root causes of these issues, while also making an immediate difference in the trips’ respective communities.
The AB program is an active member of Break Away: The Alternative Breaks Connection.  As part of that membership, AB adheres to the Eight Components of a Quality Alternative Break as described by Break Away®: 

• Strong Direct Service
• Orientation
• Education
• Training
• Reflection
• Reorientation
• Diversity
• Alcohol and Drug Free

In addition to these eight components, the Alternative Breaks program also adheres to the following elements:

• Simple Living and Sustainability: To lessen our impact on the communities within which we work, AB seeks to live simply and sustainably by spending as little as possible on housing (our goal is to eventually have low- to no-cost housing for all sites) and food (we spend an average of $7/person/day on food costs). Additionally, we are mindful of the resources we use and the environmental impact we will have on the location where we stay.

• Reciprocal Relationships with Community Partners: We strive to build long-term relationships with communities and partner with organizations in a way that benefits both the community and our participants.

• Social Justice Focus: Each of our trips concentrates on a social justice issue and participates in direct service related to that issue, with a focus on the issue’s root causes. Thinking critically about social justice as a whole provides participants the necessary tools to think critically about the issues they are engaging with.

• Leadership for Social Change: AB provides a variety of leadership and engagement opportunities, including trip leader and intern positions. We seek to empower participants to become change agents, and provide opportunities for those looking to “move up” in the organization and take on leadership roles that engage peers in critical discussion around social justice and social change.