The Ignacio Volunteers program is taking 35 students, including members of the Loyola baseball team, to three different programs in Jamaica and Belize during the winter break.

“For the first time ever, we are linking up with the baseball team. Six baseball players will be teaching kids in San Jose how to play baseball after the regular morning activities of art and language,” said Edwin Madera, coordinator of Jesuit Center programs and of Ignacio Volunteers.

Recently, members of the Ignatius Chapel Community donated $1,028 to the Ignacio Volunteers for their trip. “There is a collection every semester and this semester, there was a very generous donation of more than a thousand dollars. This is very helpful for our program,” Madera said.

Ricardo Marquez, Jesuit Center assistant director for faculty and staff development, sent an email to the Ignatius Chapel Community expressing his thanks for their donations.

“I can testify that these experiences really touch and change the lives of the volunteers. For me it’s one of the best formative experiences offered on campus, aligned with the Jesuit educational tradition of learning through experience. It’s eye opening and heart expanding,” Marquez said in the email. “I am very grateful for your loyal support to the Ignatius Volunteers program.”

Another change to the program this year is the postponement of the Belize Faculty-Staff Experience trip. There will be no trip this year, Madera said. According to the Mission and Ministry website, the next trip will be May 2014.

Hannah Iannazzo can be reached at [email protected].