UK Students Help Others During Spring Break

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 15, 2012) — Whether helping Kentuckians clean up from tornadoes that hit earlier this month, or helping folks in Joplin, Mo., hit by tornadoes last year, or helping Mississippi residents still deal with the aftermath of 2005's Hurricane Katrina, many University of Kentucky students have been spending their Spring Break this year in service to others.

UK Office of Student Involvement's Center for Community Outreach in the Division of Student Affairs have six Alternative Break service trips on site this week in Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Washington, D.C., Biloxi, Miss., Atlanta, Ga., and David, Ky.

The original plan for the trip to David had involved working with the David School, a school in Floyd County focusing on Appalachian high school dropouts and at-risk youths who have limited financial resources.  After the March 2 tornadoes in Kentucky, the Alternative Break trip to David expanded to include tornado relief in the Magoffin County area.

Eleven UK students and one UK staff adviser are on the Alternative Break in David. They, as well as David School students and students from three other colleges that were doing alternative spring breaks at the David School, have been working on clean up at homes and along the Mountain Parkway area.  They also worked at a supply distribution center in Salyersville. On Friday, the UK student group will work directly with Salyersville’s Burning Fork Community Church, which has been very involved in serving the community since the tornado hit March 2, having served some 6,000 hot meals since that day. 

The other Center for Community Outreach Alternative Break trips this week include:  Jaibon, Dominican Republic working with the Global Youth Empowerment program; Santo Domingo, Ecuador working with Global Health and Wellness;  Atlanta, Ga., working with refugee resettlement; Biloxi, Miss., rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina; and Washington, D.C., working with hunger and homelessness.

Other organizations connected to the University of Kentucky also offered trips with a full or partial service component during this Spring Break week, including the Christian Student Fellowship (CSF).  The organization has groups in Salida, Colo., New York, N.Y., Sarasota, Fla., Owensboro, Ky., and Joplin, Mo.

The group in Joplin has been working on homes damaged by a May 22, 2011, tornado that ripped through the area killing more than 160 people.  One Joplin resident, grateful for the help, sent UK President Eli Capilouto an email this week complimenting the students.

"Would like to let you know of a great service project of students from your university.  A group from the Christian Student Fellowship led by Houston Royster have been working in the Joplin tornado area," Doug Joyce wrote.  "As a tornado survivor, I would like to personally inform you of their service and let you know these students have been outstanding representatives of the University of Kentucky."

Among other UK groups helping with storm relief in Kentucky this week, members of Phi Kappa Tau and Theta Chi fraternities worked in the Morgan County area. The UK Appalachian Center had already planned to be in Eastern Kentucky this week and added to their work the delivery of supplies to the Magoffin County area that they and UK’s Robinson Scholars collected.  

As the horrific images of the devastation to Kentucky life and property from the March 2 tornadoes and strong thunderstorms flickered across television and computer screens throughout Kentucky, the hearts of University of Kentucky students, faculty and staff went out to family, friends and strangers.

UK telephones, emails and social media were buzzing with one question when they returned to school the following Monday morning: What can I do to help?

That question was gradually answered as the campus community mobilized itself to respond to the obvious needs of fellow Kentuckians.

Finding a way to help was a very personal struggle for Blair Helwig, a UK junior in broadcast journalism who was interning in the WKYT newsroom Friday afternoon, March 2. Helwig is from West Liberty, her father (Steve Helwig) is still a resident of the Morgan County community.

In an interview last week, Helwig said, "During the storm, people didn't know what to expect. But while I was working in the (WKYT) newsroom all I could think about was my dad. The power outage left him without a television and warning. I continued to text him and update him with any information I knew. The last text he received from me read, 'Dad it's literally headed your way.' "

That was the last she heard from her father for two agonizing hours. "There was no cell service, but he finally got a text message through to me, two hours after" the tornado struck near his home, not in its immediate path.

"My dad was very fortunate the tornado did not directly cross his path. After delivering supplies to him this weekend and seeing all the people without homes, it really motivated me to get a donation drive started at UK," she said. She turned to "my UK family," her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, for help.

Helwig and sorority sister Madison Shoffner visited other Greek houses on Monday, March 5, distributing a list of desperately needed items, including towels, socks, underwear, baby wipes, all sizes of plastic storage tubs (for the victims' belongings), tampons and other personal products, hygiene products like deodorant and toothpaste, batteries, flashlights and non-perishable food items. The donations were collected through Saturday, March 10.  

Students in the Robinson Scholars Program were among UK’s first responders; many of them have family and friends whose homes and livelihoods were destroyed by the cruel weather. The Robinson Scholars and the Appalachian Center combined forces to collect much-needed supplies.

The Robinson Scholars, taking advantage of extended family networks, distributed its supply of canned goods last week in and around West Liberty. Other donations were distributed this week by the Appalachian Center in the Magoffin County area.

“These communities will require a long-term commitment from all of us. Many of the residents are either uninsured or underinsured. They will need our help to rebuild for a long, long time,” said Ann Kingsolver, director of the Appalachian Center and the Appalachian Studies program.

On March 5, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity initiated a Tornado Relief Clothing Drive that continued through Friday, March 9. Clothing of all types, non-perishable food items and monetary donations were collected and donated to the affected areas through the Red Cross.

The UK Ag Ambassadors also collected items that went to the Christian Appalachian Project and a volunteer fire department in Johnson County.

UK's National Pan-Hellenic Council took volunteers to Morehead, Ky., last week to help organize donations. And Panhellenic will be doing a “goods” collection at their Fashion Show on Sunday, March 26, in the Frank Harris Grand Ballroom of the Student Center.

Members of the Student National Pharmacy Association are accepting monetary donations, as well as items to donate to the Christian Appalachian Project. For more information, contact Alisa M. Jackson at alisa.jackson@uky.edu .

The UK Staff Senate collected donations for tornado victims at their monthly meeting on Thursday, March 8.

There are many ways beyond the campus community to help:

•To donate $10, text Redcross at 90999

•Visit www.redcross.org and click Disaster Relief Fund

•Donate at any Central Bank location

•Mail a check to 1450 Newtown Pike, Lexington, KY 40511 with “Kentucky Cares” in the memo line.

•Call 1-800-redcross.

•visit the Kentucky Emergency Management website to volunteer or donate, http://kyem.ky.gov/donationsvolunteers/Pages/default.aspx

Some people must first take care of themselves before they can help others. UK students who were affected by the recent tornadoes and storms are invited to seek support at the Counseling Center. Staff members at the Counseling Center are available to help students deal with shock, grief, anxiety and other reactions related to the recent storms. If you, your family, and/or your community are victims of the storms, please know that you may walk in to speak to a counselor, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or you may schedule an appointment by calling (859) 257-8701. Counseling Center services are free to students. The Counseling Center is located in 201 Frazee Hall, which is situated next to the Student Center, near Administration Drive. For more information, visit www.uky.edu/studentaffairs/counseling.