Although rebuilding housing on the coast is everyone's number one priority, it's also important to build back the infrastructure that makes a community cohesive. Hands On is participating in certain strategic projects targeted at making these communities whole again.

Community Garden at John Henry Beck Park

Now that we have layed sod and helped build the playground at John Henry Beck Park, it's time to start focusing on the community gardens. Hands On Gulf Coast continues to dig out plots in preparation for the first planting in October. Already a number of local groups, including the NAACP, Coastal Women for Change, and and Fishes and Loaves (a soup kitchen) have reserved their plots. Our volunteers are canvasing the community looking for folks interested in maintaining a plot.

Live Oak Restoration

Prior to Katrina, huge live oak trees spread gnarled limbs covered in green leaves to shade Beach Road (Highway 90). After Katrina, the salt left by the storm surge and the high winds have stressed some trees to the point of no return. For those that remain Hands On has garnered support from The Home Depot Foundation and the Mississippi Department of Transportation to embark on an ambitious plan to save as many of the live oaks as possible. Step one was the Corporate Month of Service Project in which we improved the soil conditions for 5 live oaks living in the median of Highway 90. Our goal is to hit all the trees in the medians of Highway 90 in Biloxi.