First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth Gives $200,000 to
Endow College’s Alternative Spring Break Program
The 2017 Alternative Spring Break trip was the 25th for Austin College students and sponsors. This spring, they worked alongside the Blanco River Regional Recovery Team in San Marcos, Texas, to repair some of the 100 homes damaged in recent flooding.
First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth voted this spring to make a gift of $200,000 to Austin College to fully endow the College’s Alternative Spring Break program. Rev. Karl Travis says the congregation has had mission in its DNA for decades. This gift continues the congregation’s commitment to mission and provides opportunities for Austin College students willing to give their time and efforts in service to others.
The Austin College Alternative Spring Break program mobilizes approximately 40 students each year to travel to communities in need, often assisting with cleanup and construction after a natural disaster. The trip is organized through the Service Station, part of the Religious Life Program at the College.
“This gift will enable Austin College to continue to live out its church-relatedness by providing opportunities for interested students to spend their Spring Break working to serve others who face difficult circumstances,” said Austin College chaplain John Williams ’84.
He said that while service to neighbors in the Texoma area is an ongoing priority, Alternative Spring Break trips provide a break from campus and allow students to build community with fellow students as they travel and serve, “living out the Good News for hurting communities.”
First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth is a longtime supporter of Austin College, having made gifts for scholarships, church relations programming, and the A Cappella Choir over the past 30 years. The Alternative Spring Break endowment is the largest single gift from a church toward Austin College’s Faith & Engagement campaign, an effort to endow the overall Religious Life Program of the College.
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