Welcome to the Health and Wellness in Appalachia trip! Health and wellness are both essential to thriving communities. It's no surprise how easy it is to take for granted the simple pleasures of each day without realizing the significance of these little luxuries. But this trip is designed to educate University of Tennessee students on varying levels of care present in surrounding communities. This toolbox of wisdom will help us advocate for others and our own communities as we expand both our knowledge and perspective. And so we are so excited to partner with the Elizabethton community to serve and learn!
Elizabethton, Tennessee is located in the central Appalachian region and is currently home to roughly 13,933 people. While many economic improvements have been made in the past decades, the Appalachian region as a whole is lagging behind the rest of the nation. Central Appalachia, consisting East Kentucky, East Tennessee, West Virginia, and Western North Carolina, continue to have pockets of distressed and at-risk areas. Private organizations and government aid have prioritized health concerns. In order for a work force to be productive, the citizens need to have basic health needs met. We are looking forward to working with organizations who prioritize the needs of east Tennessee residents.
This trip is also a time for exercising various leadership styles, budding new friendships, and lighting the way for other Vols to come by embracing what it is to be a Volunteer! Through service and meaningful reflections, participants will be able to recognize the core values of servant leadership. So if you're into meeting new people and embracing big ideas, get ready to breathe in that mountain air and wake up early for the coolest adventure ever! We are so excited to watch you all become best friends over our four days together, and we are so glad that you're here!
Check out your super AWESOME Alternative Break Leaders!
Madeleine Shell- ABL
Senior-Social Work
Coming into college, I found a calling serving others. These opportunities led me to my current pursuit in a social work degree! I have now had the pleasure of being a part of two alternative break trips and am excited to make this a third as a break leader! In the past, I have attended an Inner City Inequality trip to Memphis, TN, and a Marginalized Populations and Inclusion trip to Jackson, MS!
Some fun facts about me would be that I love cats, reading, hiking, crocheting, and singing. My favorite author is Charles Dickens. My perfect day would consist of being in the mountains with a grape slush and some Walt Whitman poetry.
“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.”― Woodrow Wilson
Hannah Dunbar- ABL
Senior- Economics with a collateral in International Business
After studying abroad and being more observant to world issues, I decided to spend more of my time on service dedicated to a specific cause. Knoxville has plenty of opportunities to plug into service work; and I took advantage of this. Throughout college, I learned that I am very interested in community development and local businesses' roles in providing jobs and growth to the residents. While a business is in an industry to make a profit, I believe it is a business's ethical responsibility to make a city or town better off. I participated on the Marginalized Populations and Inclusions trip to Jackson, MS, with Maty and had a wonderful experience.
My hobbies include running, reading nonfiction books, and eating ice cream daily.
We hope this will be an amazing opportunity for all parties involved, and we are super excited!
