Fisher Students, Campus Ministry Serve Charlotte Community During Alternative Spring Break
March 12, 2026
A group of 37 Fisher students and staff traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina for spring break to provide service to several organizations. Led by the Office of Campus Ministry, this was the largest spring break service group to date.
While there, they served at the Hickory Soup Kitchen, Dorothy Day Soup Kitchen, Hope Street Food Pantry, Missionaries of the Poor Garden, Second Harvest Food Bank and Crisis Center, Nourish Up, Habitat Restore, and QC Family Tree. Each day ended with group reflection and discussion, and some days also included time for sightseeing. Thursday evening, the group met with area alumni for dinner.
For sophomore Kylee Race, a pre-pharmacy major, this marked the second time she participated in the trip.
“I was motivated to go on the service trip last year because I wanted to meet new people from Fisher and build a community with people who have the same passion for serving as I do. It’s an excellent way to go outside of your comfort zone and make an impact on a community that isn’t your own,” she said. “I was hoping to learn more about the circumstances that led people to the positions of need they are in. After visiting the service sites, I learned that many people who are high-functioning individuals go through rough life circumstances and need temporary assistance to get back on their feet.”
She was most impacted this year during her time spent at the Second Harvest Food Bank, where the group was charged with putting together 1,000 boxes that would later be packed with food items for individuals and families. The sheer number of boxes they needed to assemble struck her as she realized the food insecurity issue in the Charlotte area.
“I recognized how grateful I am to have consistent, healthy food options wherever I am — something that a lot of people do not have. Having the opportunity to improve upon this issue, even if it was small, was an incredible feeling,” she noted. “I saw vegetables, fruits, and protein options getting packed into the boxes. It was an excellent feeling to see that not only was the issue of food insecurity being addressed but with intent to serve dignified food options.”
One of her biggest takeaways from the trip was the realization that oftentimes those doing the service will never interact with the people they serve. Some of the service sites that the group visited involved behind-the-scenes work, and Race said that while she never met the people they were helping, she got comfortable with the idea of knowing that their work was making a difference in an indirect way.
“My service this trip may not have involved talking with or making connections to those who are struggling, but I now know that committing myself to a week of service and staying privy to the socioeconomic issues that occur in today’s world is just as important,” she said.
Sophomore Marisa Eichas, a political science major, wanted to do meaningful work alongside peers who share similar values of service. Her goal for this trip: to return to Fisher at the end of the week a better person than when she left. “I wanted to challenge myself as an individual and grow in ways that I did not yet know I could.”
She enjoyed how close the group became as they got more involved in the service they were doing.
“The work we did together allowed us to move past the fact that we had once been strangers and instead create meaningful connections while performing life-changing work for those in need in the community,” she said. “It was the act of service that helped me form close bonds with others on the trip and showed me how quickly strangers can become friends when you step into the unknown together.”
The trip also helped her break down some biases that she may have held before this experience, and she said putting her faith into action through service helped ground her. “It encouraged me to meet each service site and each individual’s struggles where they were, approaching the work with humility and a desire to support them in their needs.”
Both Race and Eichas would recommend the annual trip to other students as it’s an opportunity not only to help others but to grow as individuals.
“I challenged myself by stepping into the unknown, and throughout the week, I truly felt the grounding power of service and faith guiding me,” said Eichas.
Race agreed. “Regardless of your race or religious background, attending the service trip is the best way to unify the Fisher community through the common goal of service to others.”