Young adults representing a number of Newtown’s houses of worship will be traveling in June to Guyan Valley, West Virginia, where they will spend a week with Appalachia Service Project (ASP).

The 40 Newtown Ecumenical Workcamp Servants (NEWS) and their 16 adult chaperones will share God’s love by helping those in need, according to Carolyn Mandarano, a NEWS board member. The local young adults will be restoring and renovating homes for low income homeowners. Work is expected to include framing, roofing, installing drywall, painting, installing cabinetry, and other light construction projects.

Ahead of that, however, the NEWS group spent a very cold night outdoors. NEWS participated in an outdoor sleepathon on Saturday, February 2, to raise funds for their week-long service trip in June.

The annual event is designed to help those participating in work camp — young adults and chaperones alike — better understand the plight of those in need. After building a structure outside Newtown Congregational Church from cardboard and duct tape, the youth participated indoors in a group exercise to help them consider the challenging choices many people make in their lives and to become aware of their own priorities and values.

Even though the temperatures dipped into the 20s overnight, all teens slept outside in the cardboard house.

While the teens will report it was a fun experience, the exercise was also designed to help them better understand the difficult living conditions many people face, Ms Mandarano explained.

Summer Service Project

Those participating in the NEWS service trip this year represent Christ the King Lutheran Church, Congregation Adath Israel, Newtown Congregational Church, Newtown United Methodist Church, St Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church, all of Newtown; B’nai Israel in Southbury, and Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Brookfield.

They range in age from 15 to 18.

Appalachia Service Project is a Christian ministry that inspires hope and service through volunteer home repair and replacement in Central Appalachia. ASP’s mission is to make homes warmer, safer, and drier for families and to provide transformational service experiences for volunteers.

ASP encourages people to act responsibly in the face of human need and injustice. The ministry’s theme for 2019 is Be the Peace.

After a week of hard work repairing homes with ASP, the hands of the NEWS team — and all those who travel to participate in the project — will grow a little tougher, their arms a little stronger, and their relationship with God a lot deeper. They will learn that God has given them the ability to give more than they ever realized.

They will also discover first-hand that regardless of geography, education, or economic class, all are equal members of the family of God.

In order to travel to and stay with ASP and cover the costs of food, materials, and chaperone tuition, fundraising efforts are done months ahead of the trip.

One of the largest annual fundraisers is the NEWS Breakfast, when those who have been on previous trips provide testimonials about their experiences as NEWS volunteers. Those planning to travel to Guyan Valley in June participate as servers at the event, presented at Newtown Congregational Church. Tips lefts for the servers that morning help cover some of the fees associated with the upcoming trip.

Donations of raffle items and baskets are also counted on for the annual breakfast. Sales of raffle tickets are added to each year’s fundraising efforts.

Local residents are invited to donate items for the raffle or make a tax-deductible donation directly to NEWS. Checks made payable to NCC Workcamp can be mailed to Newtown Congregational Church, 14 West Street, Newtown CT 06470. Online donations can also be made through the church’s secure website, newtownctchurch.org (click on Global Community Ministry: NEWS, Mission Groups, and The Cornerstone Thrift Center, and then on the red banner near the top of the page).

For additional information about NEWS or to donate to the NEWS Fundraising Breakfast raffle, contact Newtown Congregational Church at 203-426-9024.