You know that feeling when spring break is getting close?

The weather teases you with one warm afternoon. The group chats start buzzing about travel plans. Everybody gets a little antsy for longer days and a break from the routine.

Around City Leadership, we feel that same buzz, but it’s not about beaches.

It’s about college students from across the country getting ready to spend their spring break serving right here in Memphis.

We call March the Serve901 Super Bowl.

Because this is our biggest service season of the year.
This is when the trips roll in.
This is when partnerships activate all across the city.
This is when Memphis gets hundreds of extra hands ready to work.

Spring break is coming.

And kickoff for Serve901 is almost here. 🏈

🎉 18 Colleges. 4 Weeks. One City.

Over a four-week stretch, with some schools rolling in as early as late February, we’ll welcome students from 18 colleges across the country to serve right here in Memphis.

We’re talking LSU. Howard University. Creighton. UAB. UTK. And more.

College students from all over the U.S. are choosing to spend their spring break not on a beach… but in our neighborhoods.

That never gets old.

They’re coming to partner with over 30 local nonprofits across Memphis, rolling up their sleeves and stepping into meaningful work citywide.

🙌 What They’ll Be Doing

This isn’t busy work. This is real, hands-in-the-dirt, lives-being-touched kind of impact.

Here’s just a snapshot:

📚 Supporting youth education, including financial literacy programming with Junior Achievement for 5th–7th graders

🌱 Working in community gardens like Knowledge Quest and New Hope

🥫 Serving alongside the Mid-South Food Bank and other food access partners

🎈 Powering the Neighborhood Christian Center’s Spring Jam, serving over 1,000 Memphis youth

Spring Jam alone takes an army of volunteers, and Serve901 shows up strong.

Serving With Purpose

Director Jeff Riddle says it best: we want every student to engage with their hands, head, and heart.

Hands through meaningful, physical service
Head by learning about Memphis history, education, and civil rights
Heart by building relationships and reflecting on their own purpose

Students hear from local educators. They visit historic sites. They wrestle with big questions about calling, justice, and community.

And here’s the beautiful part:
Some of them come back.

For gap years.
For internships.
As long-term advocates for Memphis.

That’s the kind of ripple effect we’re building.

📈 10,000 Hours — Let’s Go.

Last year, Serve901 students logged 9,252 volunteer hours.

This year, we’re aiming to exceed 10,000 hours.

And here’s why that matters:

Each volunteer hour is valued at roughly $33 of economic impact.

That means these students are delivering hundreds of thousands of dollars in value to Memphis nonprofits, organizations that are often operating on tight budgets and big faith.

It’s expanded capacity: more kids served, more meals packed, and more gardens planted.

It’s Memphis getting stronger.

🍽️ Want to Jump In?

Here’s where YOU come in.

Local sponsors can elevate this entire experience by:

Providing meals for student groups
Sponsoring visits to the National Civil Rights Museum
Offering financial support for trip scholarships
Hosting, connecting, or opening doors through alumni networks

When students are well fed and experience Memphis deeply, it changes everything.

We want them to leave tired from serving and inspired by this city.

If you’ve ever thought, “How can I support what Serve901 is doing?" this is your moment.

Reach out to me at john@cityleadership.org.
Let’s talk about sponsoring a meal.
Let’s talk about hosting a group.
Better yet, come see it in action.

Let’s make this the biggest Serve901 season yet.