Port Student Helps with Tornado Recovery Efforts in Alabama

Alexandra Romero of Port Washington, was one of 30 University of Hartford students who spent their spring break helping the people of Tuscaloosa, Ala. rebuild their community after last year's deadly tornado. The trip, which took place from Friday, March 16, to Saturday, March 24, was referred to as alternative spring break because the students chose to do community service rather than take a vacation.

During their time in Alabama, Romero and the other students received Red Cross disaster training and worked on reconstruction, home improvement, debris removal and tree planting projects. They also volunteered at food banks, free clothing outlets, Head Start programs, Boys and Girls Clubs and soup kitchens.

In addition to helping others, the students had an opportunity to learn about the nation's civil rights era when they visited the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and took the Civil Rights Walking Tour in that city.

Chartered in 1957 with the mission to be a "private university with a public purpose," the University of Hartford offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs in the arts, the humanities, business, engineering and technology, education, and the health professions. The University's student body of 7,200 represents 45 states and 58 countries. For more information, visit www.hartford.edu.