FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 6, 2010
Contact: Nikonie Brown
(662) 329-7119
nnb1@muw.edu

MUW students help construct halfway house in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Miss. -- Every year, Mississippi University for Women’s Office of Community Service partners with a local organization to coordinate a day of service. This year, the office worked to renovate a halfway house for women who have been released from prison.

The students volunteered one Saturday of their time and later decided to continue working on the house, logging almost 250 hours of service to the project.

“It was a great experience to be able to help construct a halfway house for women who are usually not given a second chance,” said Tomeka Reynolds, student and director of community service.

Jessica Harpole, MUW coordinator of leadership and service, added, “This is the type of initiative we want our students to take in order to make the Columbus community better for all individuals.”

Another community service project that students participated in this semester was Alternative Break, which is sponsored by MUW’s Hearin Leadership Program.

This year’s service project was in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity and took place in Greensboro, Ala., April 9-11. MUW students volunteered to paint, roof houses and do yard work. The project was open to all MUW students and those who participated received 15 hours of community service.

For more information about getting MUW students to volunteer in the community, contact Harpole at 662.329.7355 or Reynolds at 662.241.7470.