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SALISBURY, MD---When Salisbury University NAACP President Wendy Finley traveled to the Gulf Coast to help victims of Hurricane Katrina during Spring Break this year, not even the many images of devastation she had seen in the media prepared her for what she experienced.

“The progress is slow, and people are in desperate need of support,” said Finley, who worked with volunteers from assistance organization Saving Ourselves (S.O.S.) in the Katrina on the Ground Project. “During the short time there, we helped improve the living conditions of several families.”

Finley’s duties included helping survivors recover personal items from their homes before gutting or demolishing the buildings. Once the work was completed, volunteers interviewed the victims who were willing to share their stories of coping and survival.

“The personal rewards gained by working with the Katrina cleanup are immeasurable and have created a deep desire within me to continue providing assistance to these families,” said Finley.

This summer she will intern with the Biloxi, MS, Releif Redevelopment Center. She is requesting sponsorships from the campus and community to help cover transportation and personal expenses related to the internship. Plane tickets alone are estimated to cost up to $250.

She also seeks donations of clothing, toiletries, household items and funds to contribute to the Biloxi relief effort to personally assist four families in need. Many victims in that area are not receiving aid from the Federal Emergency Management Administration or The American Red Cross, she said.

For more information or to make a contribution, e-mail wefinley318@yahoo.com. "