Press Releases
United Way Announces Plans for Alternative Spring Break 2008
United Way of Morris County Seeks to Engage Young People in Rebuilding
Communities in Need
December 4, 2007 – Morristown, NJ – United Way of Morris County is inviting young people between the ages of 18 and 24 from Morris County to apply for a spot as a participant in United Way of America's national program, Alternative Spring Break (ASB) 2008.
This program provides opportunities for young people to make a meaningful difference over their spring break by rebuilding communities. The week-long community service program will continue to focus on rebuilding in the Gulf Coast, to help them recover from the lasting devastation of powerful hurricanes; and in Detroit, Michigan to address challenges that prevent individuals and families living in our nation's cities from realizing their potential.
Alternative Spring Break is a program of United Way of America, originally created in partnership with think MTV. The goal of the program is to inspire young people to engage in community service during their spring vacations. As part of that effort, United Way of Morris County is helping promote the program to young people, and is recruiting a team from Morris County to participate in ASB 2008 Gulf Coast/Michigan.
"We are excited that for the third year in a row, we will be offering the Alternative Spring Break program that will provideyoung people a meaningful opportunity to spend time giving back to those in need outside their own communities," said Brian A. Gallagher, president and CEO, United Way of America. "It's truly a win-win when we can combine the energy, enthusiasm and positive attitude of young people with opportunities to make a measurable difference in people's lives" – whether in the Gulf Coast or within America's cities.
Based on the overwhelming success of Alternative Spring Break over the past 3 years, United Way has decided to increase the scope of the program for 2008. This year United Way will not only send volunteers to the Gulf Coast communities of Hancock County, MS and Lake Charles, LA to continue their work in rebuilding these communities; but it will also bring a group of volunteers to one of our nation's many urban communities wrestling with an array of issues. ASB 2008 will focus this part of the project on Detroit, Michigan where they will work in conjunction with local nonprofit partners on such critical tasks as: building affordable housing, improving the quality of child care centers, and building ramps to provide people with disabilities safe access to their homes.
Among the diverse group of applicants selected for the program in years past, all reported that they were more likely to volunteer as a result of the program and 89 percent reported that they planned to "activate" their experience at home by getting involved in their communities, sharing their experiences or encouraging others to volunteer.
Early application deadline for Alternative Spring Break 2008 was December 21, 2007; however, additional applications are being considered. More information is available at www.unitedway.org.
For more information about ASB including pictures, videos, testimonials, etc, please visit our blog at: blog.unitedway.org/asb.
About United Way of Morris County
United Way of Morris County is dedicated to helping people and improving the quality of life for all residents. We address issues most critical to the future of Morris County by bringing attention, expertise, and resources to them. For more information, visit us on the web at www.uwmorris.org, or call 973.993.1160.
Contact
Andrea Conway
Marketing Communications
United Way of Morris County
973.993.1160, x110
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