Cast of Guiding Light Helps Rebuild Biloxi

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Guiding Light, the cast and crew decided to partner with Hands On Network, a volunteer organization, in an effort to bring the shows motto to life...a brotherhood of man.

They kicked off the effort with a week-long studio shutdown and flew the entire cast and crew to Biloxi, MS where they worked to rebuild Ethel Curry's home. The widly popular actors slept in bunkbeds at the Hands On volunteer center, served breakfast, and split into crews to bring Ms. Curry's home back to life.

As a culture, we tend to elevate television and movie stars to the level of Gods and forget that they are simply people, like us, who want to make a difference in the world and don't mind getting their hands dirty. This truth turned out to be a blessing for Ethel. She'd lived in a FEMA trailer since the disaster and had spent sixteen months searching for someone to help rebuild her home that was almost entirely flooded by Gulf waters during the storm.

Ethel survived Katrina by crawling into her open refrigerator while it floated near the ceiling. Ethel is quoted by Marketplace, "And I say, "Lord, please take it down, because if it come any higher, I can't swim. Well, I was through the rafters, holding my head up. Trying to keep it, you know, from getting in my mouth, because I couldn't stand it."

In late Jaunary of this year, Kim Zimmer, who playes Reva Shane on Guiding Light, and other cast members showed up in Ethel's driveway, ready to answer her pleas for help. Some of the cast members had never used power tools or even a screwdriver but volunteers from Hands On made sure no one got injured and the living room walls were plumb.

Ms. Curry's response, "It is really a gift. A great gift. Got a lot of smiles and a lot of things to smile for now."

This was the first in several volunteer project taking place this year within the partnership. Here is a list of the cities and the various Hands On Affiliates that Guiding Light’s cast members will be working with in the coming months. This is posted on www.findyourlight.com

5-4 to 5-5-07
Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh Cares

6-2-07
Los Angeles, CA
L.A. Works

7-14-07
New Orleans, LA
Hands On New Orleans

8-18-07
St. Louis, MO
St. Louis Cares

9-29-07
Nashville, TN
Hands On Nashville

10-27-07
New York City
New York Cares

11-3-07
Miami, FL
Hands On Miami

12-2007
Baltimore, MD
Baltimore Volunteer Central

To find out how you can be part of this volunteer effort and the added benefit of possible face time with you favorite soap opera star visit www.findyourlight.com and make a difference for someone like Ethel Curry.