Summer of Service: Local Youth Embrace Project to End World Hunger

Although school is out, the Youth of Mt. Tirzah Baptist Church in Charlotte Court House have been hard at work this summer.

According to Lindsay Webb, who spoke on behalf of the project, the youth group of Mt. Tirzah has teamed up with other youth from Drakes Branch Baptist Church and New Hope United Methodist Church to pitch in on a group of projects collectively known as the “Summer of Service.”

Webb explained that basically they are “doing service projects trying to raise $2,900 to host a Stop Hunger Now event in August where they will pack 10,000 meals that will be used all over the world to feed hungry children.”

So far, the group has raised almost $2,000 by placing jars in businesses around the county, volunteering at “Gleaning for the World,” doing yard work for church members and baking cookies for the fire department, sheriff’s office and various community helpers.  “Alexis Brown is our Vacation Bible School director and she wanted to do something different this summer than the normal VBS,” said Webb. “She and I came up with the idea of a Summer of Service that got the kids thinking about someone besides themselves.  Our theme is ‘Do Something’ with the idea being that you don’t have to be any certain age to make a difference in our world.  They have served in a different way each week this summer,” said Webb. “If we go over our goal we can buy more meals.”

On August 2, the youth group will be wrapping things up with their final fundraiser, which is scheduled to be a yard sale.  Webb is optimistic that the yard sale will aid in reaching the final goal.

The final event is scheduled for August 16. Teenagers in Charlotte County (6th-12th grade) are invited to Mt. Tirzah Baptist Church to help pack 10,000 meals through Stop World Hunger Now with the money that has been raised.  Packing will begin at 10 a.m., with lunch being served around 1 p.m. and entertainment from a local band to close out the event.  “We hope that the kids will take away from this experience that their ideas matter and that they can change other children’s lives and end hunger in our world,” commented Webb.