United Way of Morris County News
Recent News

Small Tasks Add Up in Mississippi for Alternative Spring Break Volunteers
Alternative Spring Break Part 2 – dedicated young adults from Morris County spent their spring break making a big impact while having fun in Southern Mississippi.
April 1, 2008

Sleeping in a Quonset hut. Getting sunburned. Hammering and nailing house foundations. Getting chased by dogs. Rescuing vans from the mud. Scrubbing toilets. Wandering around an unfamiliar neighborhood with a piece of paper and knocking on strangers’ doors.

Welcome to Alternative Spring Break.

A program of United Way of America and sponsored by FedEx and Deloitte, the goal of Alternative Spring Break (ASB) is to inspire young people to engage in community service during their spring vacations and beyond. “This year, we continue to build on the groundswell of compassion and commitment of Generation Y,” stated Brian A. Gallagher, President and CEO, United Way of America.  “There’s not a better connection that we could make than between people who need help and people who can help. This year, we’re extending service projects beyond the Gulf Coast because there are communities across the country that have pressing needs that can be addressed through thoughtful, focused and committed volunteer work.” United Way hosted three sites in 2008 across a span of five weeks in February and March: Detroit, Michigan; Biloxi, Mississippi; and Lake Charles, Louisiana.

During the week of March 15-22, approximately 100 participants and team leaders chose to spend their spring breaks in Southern Mississippi to take part in the five- to ten-year rebuilding process from the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, one of the five deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States. The ASB-ers were assigned to two main projects: rebuilding houses; and assisting with a geographic information system (GIS) mapping project and needs assessment intake of residents in Hancock County.

On the surface, it may not seem like a GIS mapping project is very exciting. Thirty participants were given the task of walking through a variety of neighborhoods in Waveland and Bay St. Louis, towns which both suffered intense damage. Each participant was assigned a list of property lots to determine the state of each lot: some lots were up on hills and barely touched by damage, some homes were in the process of being rebuilt, and some homes were completely destroyed.

“All the data they recorded goes into a database that provides evidence to the state and federal governments of the damage and recovery that has taken place so far,” explained Melissa Wankmuller, Team Leader and United Way of Morris County professional. “The data helps determine the amount of money they require to continue rebuilding the area.” Participants were estimated to have walked over 600 miles in total over the week during their project.

Seven of the total participants recruited by United Way of Morris County participated during the same week. “One of the best parts about ASB was the community tour that was led by one of the locals of Biloxi, Mississippi,” stated Kelby Christ, ASB participant and student at Fairleigh Dickinson University. “We got to hear his own personal story and those stories of his friends and family in the area. When you hear that the water level was 30 feet above sea level, it is easy to say, "Wow," and then brush it aside. It is a completely different story when you see the shingles ripped off a 15 foot steeple located 17 feet above sea level from the waters. When you see it first hand, it makes you wonder why more people do not lend a hand.”

At the end of the week, team leaders presented a check to their host, United Way of South Mississippi, for the price of the work performed by the week’s participants. The cost of the volunteers’ free labor was estimated at over $84,000.

Every little bit helps.