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 The
team will volunteer at Hands On Gulf Coast (http://www.handsongulfcoast.org/).
Located in Biloxi, MS, Hands On is a disaster response project of Hands On
Network – a network of 62 nonprofit organizations around the world that inspire
volunteers, create leaders, and change lives and communities through effective
volunteer action. Its focus is to rebuild and revitalize coastal Mississippi
through the deliberate involvement of volunteers in community-based projects
that empower residents to create a more promising future for their
communities.
The organization is housed on the ground of the Beauvoir United Methodist
Church and has a capacity of 200 volunteers. Hands On provides housing and
food.
Housing:
Hands On volunteers stay in bunk beds indoors and in tents outside. Our team
will be staying indoors, in a large space with common beds and other
volunteers. Mattresses are usually available, though not guaranteed. Hands On
does not provide bedding. Please bring your own sleeping bag or bedding. There
are four showers and laundry facilities.
Hands On’s Volunteer Information Packet states: “this is a unique communal
living situation with many people sharing limited space and facilities. It is
an exercise in flexibility and tolerance to live and work in this environment
[…] The bathrooms are cleaned and maintained by volunteers, so do your part to
keep our home nice and tidy. There is an indoor shower that is usually very
popular at the end of the day and therefore has a sign-up sheet and a four
minute limit. The outdoor showers were lovingly hand build by our resident
MacGyvers and generally have a shorter wait.”
Food:
Hands On provides food, cooked by different volunteers each night. Meals
range from the burgers and hotdogs to Thai food and crawfish boils, depending
on the creativity of volunteer cooks. There is a full kitchen where volunteers
can address special dietary needs and prepare their own meals as needed.
Projects:
Hands On is involved in a wide range of projects requiring various skills.
The work changes daily to meet the needs of the community. Volunteers sign up
for the next day’s work each night after dinner. Hands On does not require any
set of skills. If there is work that requires semi-skilled volunteers, you will
be shown how to do it. You just have to be willing to help and work hard.
Sample current projects:
Housing:
- Mold removal
- Drywall installation
Social Service – Social Outreach and Case Management:
- food and clothes distribution
- distributing flyers with information about flood insurance
- helping a resident obtain a FEMA trailer
- helping a resident to recover his/her lost official identification
Community Partners:
- Boys and Girls Club: volunteers support the Boys and Girls summer camp
program, spend time with the kids, help with programming and fundraising
- Humane Society: walking and washing animals and performing others tasks the
Humane Society needs.
- Coastal Family Health Center
- Salvation Army Assistance: The Salvation Army serves lunch to volunteers
working in East Biloxi. Volunteers assist in the food preparation and
serving
Community Spaces:
- Community Gardens at John Henry Beck Park: digging out plots in preparation
for the first planting
- Live Oak Restoration Project: Prior to Hurricane Katrina, huge live oak
trees spread gnarled limbs covered in green leaves to shade Beach Road (Highway
90). After Hurricane Katrina, the salt left by the storm surge and high winds
have stressed some of the trees to the point of no return. Hands On is striving
to save those that remain, by improving soil conditions.
Please note that these projects may change by June.
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