Not everyone spends their spring break on the beach. Eleven George Washington University students boarded a Greyhound bus this weekend to make the long trip from Washington D.C. to Natchez for a more rewarding spring break, they said.

The students are spending the week volunteering at the Natchez Children’s Home and the Sunshine Shelter.

&uot;It’s so much more rewarding than going to a beach,&uot; sophomore Mandy Volper said. &uot;To know that you made any kind of difference.&uot;

The trip was organized through the Office of Community Service when trip co-leader Trinh Tran, a sophomore, made the decision to work with children.

The students, who arrived Sunday, have spent their time sorting clothes, painting and of course hanging out with the children.

&uot;I had a lot of fun with them,&uot; freshman Alice Curley said.

&uot;We spent the whole day with them and took them to the riverfront and the playground.&uot;

Children’s Home Office Manager Debra Reece said the volunteers had been a tremendous help.

&uot;They have been painting closets upstairs, cleaning clothes closets and organizing toys,&uot; Reece said. &uot;The clothes closet upstairs is a huge room, and it’s really hard for us to take away from our staff to keep it clean, so they have been wonderful.&uot;

Volper said the week had been a reality check for her.

&uot;People get caught up in things that don’t matter,&uot; she said. &uot;It’s very eye opening, and it teaches you not to live in a bubble.&uot;

Tran said the Office of Community Service plans an alternative spring break trip each year that students can sign up for. Last year’s trip was to New York.

The 11 students who signed up for the Natchez trip started planning several months ago, but did not know each other before the trip.