Print edition: 
Amid the texting and flirtatious laughter, students from the First United Methodist Church of Augusta youth group have devoted their spring break to helping others.
The group has been participating this week in the United Way's 17th annual Youth Days of Caring.
On Thursday, they gathered in front of the Catholic Charities administrative building on North Broadway in Wichita to give the landscaping in the frontyard a makeover.
For Alizabeth Kerstetter, 16, a student with the Augusta youth group, the Youth Days of Caring is a fun way to follow her passion: helping people.
"It's one of my callings that I like to do," Kerstetter said.
Aside from the different service projects she worked on this week, Kerstetter said she liked meeting new people.
"We've just kind of teamed up to help out wherever," said Casey Long, 24, with the church.
Long said the group has participated in an array of service events across Wichita this week ranging from sorting donations at His Helping Hands food pantry and thrift store, to rebuilding a fence and repairing a local playground, to throwing a St. Patrick's Day party at Catholic Care Center, to sorting and packaging River Festival buttons.
Delane Butler, vice president for marketing at United Way of the Plains, said Days of Caring has grown over the years from a one-day event at the end of spring break to a weeklong program with more than 40 activities at 25 nonprofit organizations.
More than 200 students participated in this year's Days of Caring.
"I think the fact that students are willing to give up their time to service when they can be doing something else is a thing to note," Butler said.
Some organizations that rely on volunteers use this week to accomplish things they normally do not have the manpower for.
Anne Sixkiller, Catholic Charities volunteer coordinator, said the organization typically has two to three students in a week. They work on various projects at different locations, including Harbor House and St. Anthony Family Shelter.
Richard Tracy, Catholic Charities' facility coordinator, who supervised the project, said he thinks people underestimate what students can do.
"Let them take charge, put different ones in charge of different parts of the project and you let them do their thing," he said. "They're better workers that way."
Heather Ostrum, 14, from the Augusta youth group, said the reason she participated boils down to wanting to help others.
"At the end of the day it helps to know that you helped someone... because spring break isn't all just for fun and games," Ostrum said.
