Date: Fri 09-May-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

church-Trinity-work-camp

Full Text:

with cut: Trinity Youth Are Working Their Way To Ohio

B Y A NDREA Z IMMERMANN

Life-long friendships and spiritual ties are often established when people

reach out to help those who are less fortunate. These are just some of the

rewarding experiences Newtown youth hope to find at this year's summer work

camp in Copley, Ohio.

Participating in national workcamps has become an annual event for the youth

group at Trinity Episcopal Church. This year, Newtown Congregational Church

and some guests from St Rose Church will join with Trinity to send a total of

51 youth and chaperones to insulate, paint, roof, build decks and wheelchair

ramps, and complete other carpentry projects at homes in the suburb of Akron.

The cost of the trip is about $20,000, of which each youth contributes $200;

the balance is raised through fund-raisers and some funds donated from Trinity

Church.

The youth will sponsor two more fund-raisers before they leave for Ohio on

June 21. A Mother's Day Flower Sale will be held at Trinity this Saturday from

9 am to 3 pm, and Sunday from 9 am to 1 pm. Also, anyone who needs help with

cleaning up the yard, packing to move, hauling junk from the attic, getting

ready for a tag sale, or any other task can "Rent-A-Kid" for four hours ($40).

One member of the community has hired some youth to help clean up the

Pootatuck River this weekend.

More and more people from town want to participate in workcamp, which means

all the adults and youth involved have to work even harder to raise funds.

Everyone sleeps on sleeping bags in a public building (usually a school), but

transportation is a big expense because groups are required to bring ladders

and other tools they will use. But, as Megan Gossling says, it's all really

worth the effort.

"This will be my third year. You never really know what to expect because each

time you get assigned to a different family and it's a different experience -

that's the beauty of it," said Megan, a junior at Newtown High School, who

still receives Christmas cards and pictures from the first family she helped.

"You work in groups of six, and the people are all from different places; no

one knows each other, but by the end of the week, you're all best friends."

Each evening, the teams join together for fellowship activities, sharing, and

prayer. The theme of this year's camp is "Turning Our World Up-side Down,"

which reflects the opportunity for the kids to review their faith, said Mary

Tomasiewicz, one of the trip coordinators from Trinity.

The town of Copley is 10 miles west of Akron, Ohio. Many residents of the area

became unemployed when the tire manufacturing industry left Summit County,

once known as the rubber-producing capital of the world. Workcamp participants

will be working in a climate that is usually in the 80s and 90s, with high

humidity that time of year. They will help repair the homes of disabled,

elderly, and low-income or unemployed residents.

Among those who will attend camp and work on houses are Reverend Steve Gordon

and Pastor Kathie Adams-Sheperd. Forty-one youth will attend from Newtown.

"It's amazing the connections you're able to make with people you have never

met before...emotionally, spiritually - every kind of connection," said Megan.

Last year her entire family was able to participate; this year her mother,

Nancy Gossling, will join her for the week.

Anyone interested in helping the group get to Ohio by "renting" a youth for

four hours may contact Judy Pierce at 426-3984. Donations may be made out to

Trinity Sr YPF, and mailed to Trinity Church, 36 Main Street, Newtown 06470.