Global Youth Service Day 2009

On Saturday, April 25, Hands On Gulf Coast held its 2nd service day project and collaborated on a park beautification project with the city of Bay St. Louis Parks Department, an AmeriCorps NCCC team from Perry Point, Maryland, and the Hancock County Boys and Girls Club. As part of Global Youth Service Day, the largest service event worldwide, the project promoted and celebrated service and leadership among youth ages 5-25. The event brought together both local community members and non-locals, including a group of junior high and high school youth that traveled from Ridgeland, MS to participate.

Over 70 youth and adults contributed to various projects at 7th Street Park, including creating a mural, adding a layer of mulch underneath the playground equipment, painting a basketball court, building/decorating birdhouses, and decorating tiles. As they reflected on the day, participants mentioned that they had fun and felt like they had made a difference in the park. One parent was pleased to see that her children were able to learn responsibility and could see the results of their efforts when they returned to the park to play.

The photos below are from GYSD 09. They're just a sneak peek of all the fun and excitement from that day. If you wanna see the rest of the photos, check out our Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/handsongulfcoast/

Also, for all you "Double F's" (Facebook Fanatics), check out our Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=53098801658