March 13, 2002

Grinnell College students seek temporary home while volunteering in Seattle

GRINNELL, Iowa - Planning a family vacation? Concerned about leaving an empty house? Check out the following "want ad."

Wanted--An inexpensive place to stay for five dependable Grinnell College students during the months of June and July. Will pay a little rent, treat the residence with loving care, and volunteer to take part in two months worth of social service in Southeast Seattle.

The Alternative Summer Program at Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa, sends five students to the Seattle area to live and work in the region. It's hoped that the program can locate housing for the students, who have to compete with other students for the chance to "volunteer" in Seattle.

What Doug Cutchins, director of the Office of Social Commitment at Grinnell College, is hoping to find is an inexpensive place for the students to stay while they volunteer for a number of social service opportunities in the region. The goal of the Alternative Summer Program is to provide students with a long-term, in-depth service experience.
"That experience could include working with the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance or the Department of Neighborhoods P-Patch Program," Cutchins said. "The opportunities in the Seattle area are astounding."

Grinnell College student, Annie Perng, a New Jersey resident, is one of the students taking part in the program this year.

"Living in Seattle for eight weeks will give me an excellent opportunity to experience life in yet another region of the country," Perng said. Before coming to Grinnell College, she had never been further West than Pennsylvania. "As a result of my service experience in programs such as the Alternative Break Program, I've realized that I personally prefer direct contact with community members."

Just one of five students who will be going - chosen from a pool of 121 - Perng, a Chinese major with a strong interest in economics, has participated in the Alternative Break Program in Denver, Colo. The application process includes completing an application form, including a resume and list of previous community service work by the student, as well as developing an essay on working in Seattle. A letter of recommendation from a faculty member at Grinnell College is also required.

The program has been developed with the help of Jim Diers, a 1975 graduate of Grinnell College and the former director of the Department of Neighborhoods for the City of Seattle.

"The students will live and work together in Southeast Seattle," Diers said. "There is no place like Southeast Seattle to learn about different cultures and the value of community. I have been impressed by how the students have contributed to the community over the past two years with their tremendous energy, skills, and commitment."

Locating a place to stay while in Seattle adds to this experience. Previous trips have worked out well-the students stayed at homes whose family was away on vacation. The students took care of the residence by watering plants, feeding pets, and keeping the garden in good shape. They were gone by the time the family returned from vacation.

For more information, contact Doug Cutchins, the director of the Office of Social Commitment at Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa, at 641-269-4940.