HOUSTON -- When people think of students at spring break, many have visions of partying and drinking. But in Houston, groups of teens from 12 to 18 years old use spring break to give back to a community that's not even their own, KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday.

The Center for Student Missions pairs students in different cities with volunteer opportunities.

A group of Oklahoma high school students spent a day recently at the Bread of Life's produce day, when fresh produce is given away to low-income families.

It was just one in a week full of stops.

"It is hard to see it but it was so amazing to see these looks on these little kids' faces," a student named Mary Beth said.

They are spending their spring break volunteering and helping others.

"Just anywhere we can be a part and share our faith by doing instead of just talking," a chaperone said.

In another part of Houston, some Oklahoma seventh-graders sorted clothes, cooked meals and generally helped out at Crossroad's Tuesday homeless shelter.

"Seeing all these people -- they don't have homes. They have to live on the streets," said Kaitlyn Arnold, an Oklahoma seventh-grader.

"My first trip just changed my whole life -- my whole perspective," Oklahoma youth leader Marsha Statesir said.

Statesir said the trips would not be possible without the Center for Student Missions.

"We have eight sites everyday and there is no way being from Tulsa, Okla., that we could connect and build relationships to make sites, so coming here and having CSM allows us to totally impact the city in four days," she said.

CSM is a national, nondenominational organization that houses, feeds and sets up volunteer opportunities for any group at any time. Spring Break and summer are their biggest months, but the group also organizes weekend trips.

Paul Randall is in charge of the Houston branch.

"We coordinate with groups to come in and serve with a variety of different ministries and agencies throughout the city," he said.

The center works with 25 local charities, and, Randall said, in the end, everybody is changed by the experience.

"What we hear in our evaluations back from kids is, 'Wow I talked to the homeless and they really weren't scary. They were really nice. In fact I learned from them.' We really encourage them to be teachable while they are here, learn to open their eyes and learn from the people they get to serve and work alongside in the city," Randall said.

The cost is $57 per person per day, which pays for room, meals and transportation. The group takes the students out to eat at ethnic restaurants in Houston every night.

Last year, 1,027 people came to Houston through CSM, providing 23,000 service hours to local non-profit groups and charities.

CMS started in Los Angeles in 1989 and started a Houston chapter in 1996. It is in nine cities nationwide.

For more information, visit www.csm.org.