YouthBuild Philadelphia is proud to offer the opportunity for 30 students to travel to the Gulf Coast for a week long service trip. The spring break trip (April 16-22) will give students — most of whom have never traveled outside of Philadelphia — the opportunity to experience a new area of the country and support ongoing recovery efforts for homeowners of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

The spring break rebuilding trip is part of the school’s legacy — providing community service in an effort to transform young people’s lives while revitalizing neighborhoods. YouthBuild Philadelphia has joined Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts twice since Hurricane Katrina, and students constructed two house frames that were sent to Lafayette, La. and Gulfport, Miss. for new homes for displaced families.

Five years after Hurricane Katrina, the funding and volunteer numbers for recovery efforts are decreasing, but there are many families that still need homes. This year, YouthBuild students and staff will travel to Camp Victor in Ocean Springs, Mississippi to support the rehabilitation efforts, including rebuilding homes, gutting houses, and cleaning vacant or damaged properties.

To help make this trip possible, we are asking supporters to sponsor a student by making a tax-deductible donation to Friends of YouthBuild Philadelphia:

• $1500 to cover transportation to the Gulf Coast for all 30 students
• $500 to sponsor one student, including travel, meals, lodging, and service materials
• $250 to provide meals for the week for one student
• $50 for transportation for one student to the Gulf Coast
• $35 to provide one day and night at Camp Victor for one student

Make a donation to Friends of YouthBuild Philadelphia online via Network for Good or mail a check to YouthBuild Philadelphia (attn: Meredith Molloy) at 1231 N. Broad St, 3rd Fl, Philadelphia, PA 19122.