PULASKI (WSLS10) - Students from universities across the nation are on Spring Break, but some chose to volunteer in the New River Valley rather than relaxing from their studies.
This is Georgetown University student Katie Bui's first time spending spring break in Pulaski.
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"What really struck is how strong are the ties with the people here and how kind they are," Bui said.
Bui is with a dozen others painting the walls at the YMCA's gym.
"It feels really good, that I'm giving a little good back to the world," Alvernia University student Chloe Gletow said.
YMCA executive director Allison Hunter said she could not get the job done quickly with her staff alone.
"It's great, I think about my kids growing up every time spring break hit they were headed to Florida, or the keys or whatever, and that's great, but to know these kids every year, from year to year want to give back to the communities, and not even knowing who we are," Hunter,said.
Hunter said she gives a list of projects to workers at the non-profit Beans and Rice organization.
Workers there are hosting students from 13 universities to do community service projects for organizations in the Pulaski area.
While the students help with community service projects they also participated in after school programs to mentor some of the youth for a week.
The goal is to eventually get students to become leaders in their own communities.
"One of our values is trying to see leaders at all different kinds of levels obviously they won't be local leaders but we're hoping to instill a sense of service and stewardship," Eric Bucey, the executive director of Beans and Rice said.