Newtown Ecumenical Workcamp Servants (NEWS) conducted its 2026 fundraising breakfast on March 7, returning to the Great Room of Newtown Congregational Church (NCC) and another full house of family, friends, and supporters.

NEWS is a rotating group of high school students and adult chaperones who participate in a mission trip each summer. NCC Pastor Matt Crebbin, who is also a member of the NEWS board, mentioned that morning that the program has been underway for three-plus decades.

Well ahead of the annual trip, students and adults participate in team-building and fundraising events and service projects.

The annual breakfast is among the largest fundraising efforts by the group, which collects donations for dozens of raffle prizes, sponsorships, and donations to cover the cost of the morning’s food. Chaperones cook breakfast and oversee its delivery, while campers act as servers and runners.

Funds are raised through tips left by guests and the sale of raffle tickets.

This year’s group is working toward a June 21-26 trip to Eagle Butte, South Dakota, where they will partner with Cheyenne River Youth Project. NEWS will be working on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, experiencing a very different geography and culture than anything its members will find in Newtown and Southbury.

The upcoming mission includes 24 young adults and ten chaperones. St Rose of Lima in Newtown, Mid-South Catholic Church in Southbury, Sacred Heart in Southbury, and Newtown Congregational Church are represented among this year’s campers.

Crebbin opened the March 7 event with an opening prayer that in part celebrated “the partnership with a number of communities in town.” The program, he continued, “has made a difference for many youth in our community and across the country.”

As part of the event, young adults share testimonials. While these are usually done after the crowd has time to enjoy their breakfast, emcee Jay Edwards called a few students to the podium while most people were still eating.

“We have a few students who need to leave early,” he explained. “They’re joining the rest of the Newtown High School girls’ basketball team, who is heading to West Hartford today for the state tournament.”

Ana and Leah Morris, returning NEWS campers, left to catch up with their teammates soon after Leah offered the morning’s first testimonial.

“Each trip is meaningful in so many ways,” she said in part.

Elie Mouchantat, a former camper and current member of the NEWS Advisory Board, was also unable to attend the March 7 event, Edwards said. Mouchantat is also an assistant coach of the NHS cheerleading team, which hosted — and won, for the second consecutive year — the Class L State Championship that day.

Fourth year camper Joe Rossomando said during his testimonial that he and others have learned to work together, “and we’ve learned the impact we can have in just a week.

“We appreciate you coming today, to learn about our program and how you can help others,” he added.

Will Speiser, also a fourth year camper, joked he inherited the program after his older brother and mother participated in previous trips. He admitted things can feel awkward at first, but quickly added “year-round activities build bonds and learning experiences.

“I have learned about other parts of the country,” Speiser added. “I’ve also learned about Sticks & Stones Farm and how it helps people with food. Building cardboard shelters teaches us about being homeless, and we adopted a family for Christmas through The Newtown Fund.”

Offering his thanks to everyone in the room, he said, “We couldn’t do this without you.”

Corynn Hettenbach, another fourth year camper, drew chuckles when she admitted she initially joined NEWS after the mother of a friend encouraged her to do so, “and it would look good on my college applications.”

She has since learned the program is much more than that, she said.

“The homeowners have tried to do what they can to show appreciation” during the trips, which has affected her, she said. Hettenbach offered her thanks to the program’s organizers, saying NEWS has “helped me find my passion for helping others.”

Real Food CT Executive Director Sean Fitzpatrick was also invited to speak. Fitzpatrick’s organization has welcomed NEWS groups for work sessions for a few years. He said he is always impressed with the young adults.

“Parents, I don’t know if you know how good your kids are at manual labor but they come to our farm twice a year and they work very hard,” he said.

The visit to Real Food CT’s gardens is equally eye-opening for NEWS members, he said. While the annual mission trips are well outside the state borders, young adults are often surprised to learn how much need there is in their hometown and region.

“In 2025 Real Food CT collected and delivered to 30 pantries,” Fitzpatrick said. “There is a lot of need out there, even in a town like Newtown, where you may not realize it.”

Fitzpatrick said he and Real Food CT are “proud to be friends with this organization.”

Addressing the campers, he offered his thanks for their community service.

“You’re going to go far and do good all your lives,” he said.

Crebbin returned to the front of the room after dozens of raffle prizes were awarded, offering a closing prayer. He reiterated that because sponsors and donors had been so generous, all funds raised that morning through raffle tickets and donations left as tips for the servers would go directly to the trip itself.

“It’s going to be our first time going to South Dakota,” he said. “We’re really looking forward to this opportunity to be with the Cheyenne River Youth Project. It will be a totally different experience than one we’ve had before.” With his prayer, Crebbin encouraged all to “be quick to love, be quick to be kind … and always hold fast to that which is good.”

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Managing Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.