Adam Harris and Keerun Mehkri volunteered for the United Way Southwestern Lousiana Hurricane Rita Alternative Spring Break team. Here are their stories:

I heard about Alternative Spring Break 2007 through Regine Williams, a friend of mine who keeps me updated on many events and campus-involvement activities at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She has really been a blessing to me because sometimes I don't hear about different events because I'm a basketball player for the school. After I acted in disbelief about the information given to me, I asked Randy Dillard, who works in the Student Activities Office. He reassured me that this was the "real deal" and that our school will be partnering with United Way for Southeastern Michigan during the event.

My next step was to fill out an application online. The application asked about our current involvement on our own campus and volunteer service in our community. I mentioned that I'm a basketball player for my school and how much free time this takes up during the course of the year. Over the past two summers, I have organized the basketball camp at my school for children ages 6-18 and will continue with the camp this summer. I'm also involved with the Students in Free Enterprise organization, which allows students to apply the knowledge they've learned in the classroom to real-life situations. With many other organizations a part of my credentials, each one allows me to be a valuable member to my community.

When I found out that my application was accepted, I was very happy because I was given a chance to show my volunteer involvement on a national stage. Weeks before the event kicked off, the entire "Michigan Crew," as well as I, were stormed with daily e-mails, phone calls and meetings to update us on the event. United Way for Southeastern Michigan and United Way of America did a great job communicating with us about all the information and necessary paperwork we needed.

When we landed in Houston, a team of United Way members and volunteers greeted us at the airport and accompanied us to Lake Charles, Louisiana. When we arrived at the Volunteer Housing Center, where we would stay for the week, we were greeted by cameras, workers from United Way of America and volunteers from United Way of Southwest Louisiana. As an individual you felt like a celebrity with all the media coverage and interviews given to you during the week.

On the first day, we were given an overview of what we would expect and experience during the week. Day two, we took a tour of the devastation that was caused by the hurricanes. Then we were broken up into groups that would work at different places on different projects. My team name was "Da Bears," and we worked with Om Core to help restore a woman's home affected by Hurricane Rita. Our tasks involved insulating the walls, putting up Sheetrock, removing termite-damaged walls and tearing out the floor to install a new floor. Each day our group worked consistently on the project, and we also developed a relationship with the homeowner that led to exchanging contact information.

At the end of the week you felt very proud that you were able to help someone in need. You experienced a week of volunteer work while hearing the stories of individuals devastated by the hurricanes. You also got a chance to meet individuals from all over the country who shared your same passion to help the people of Louisiana. So I say thank you to United Way for this experience and to all the sponsors that made this event possible.

- Adam Harris

United Way sponsored Alternative Spring Break, in which youths from all over the nation dedicated their spring break to helping others. My experience in Southwestern Louisiana was incredible. It was an honor to be chosen as a team leader to help rebuild this community that was devastated by Hurricane Rita. It was unfortunate to see a beautiful area that was neglected, and it gave my fellow participants and me an opportunity to see the destruction firsthand. The numerous pictures that I took could not even capture the extent of the damage.

The beauty of this trip was the people who participated. I loved working with a diverse group of people who felt the same passion that I did.

Each day, we would get up early and begin the day at our work sites. My team and two others were chosen to go to Camp Wi-Ta-Wentin, which was significantly damaged by the hurricane winds. Our projects included painting cabins, picking up debris and building cubbies and picnic tables. It was amazing to see so many diverse young adults working together as one. Not only did we develop long-lasting relationships with each other, we bonded with citizens who were incredibly grateful for the projects we were working on.

We might be sweaty and tired, but we would come back to base camp with high spirits. The work that we had done was rewarding, and it let us know that age is not a factor when it comes to helping others. Our activities at night consisted of playing endless board games, taking trips to Sonic and Wal-Mart, doing karaoke and hearing an authentic Cajun band, which gave us a chance to embrace the Creole culture.

The remarkable thing about United Way's Alternative Spring Break is the group of people chosen to go. We came from different backgrounds, different political ideologies and different religions, but none of those were barriers in the work that we were doing. With this experience, I hope that more youths can be aware of what they are capable of accomplishing in this world. Volunteering made me grow as an individual.

This trip opened my eyes to a whole new world that I never thought existed. We put our differences aside and came together for the sake of humanity.

- Keerun Mehkri