ENCOUNTER Makes An Impact

While recently visiting Brunswick and the Golden Isles, a group called ENCOUNTER from Alton, Illinois, wanted to leave a lasting impact on our community. With the help of Hands On Coastal Georgia, the youth of ENCOUNTER found a volunteer project that suited their needs at United Way of Coastal Georgia and Signature Squares of Brunswick. What did they accomplish while volunteering at the United Way and Signature Squares? What didn’t they accomplish should be the question. For the 3 hours that the 76 youth and their chaperons volunteered, they painted 2 bathrooms, shredded hundreds of documents, completely landscaped the outside of a building and one of the squares in Downtown Brunswick, and cleaned out a storage shed.

Morgan Meece, Program Manager of Hands On Coastal Georgia, said of the day’s projects, “It really is amazing to see what a group of young people can accomplish in just a few hours. We were amazed not only at their hard work but also at their willingness to volunteer. This is a great group to be inspired by.”

ENCOUNTER, celebrating their 35th Season and sponsored by Main Street UMC in Alton, IL, is a group of high school students who represent 30 area churches throughout the Greater Alton area. Every summer they travel to a different place for a week to serve the community through volunteer work. The group expects to return to Glynn County in the year 2011.

Hands On Coastal Georgia, an initiative of United Way of Coastal Georgia, is a volunteer management website that connects people who want to help with those that need it the most. To find volunteer opportunities in Glynn and McIntosh Counties, log on to www.handsoncoastalgeorgia.org or call 912.265.1850, ext 306.