Immaculate Heart of Mary teens serve the poor in Baltimore

Photo

Neighbors | Submitted.Six teens and two adults from Immaculate Heart of Mary Church recently travelled to Baltimore as part of a service ministry trip. Pictured are Hannah Feeney, Shelby Lucas, Evan Dunn, Samantha Zarlengo, Angela Smith, Olivia Cupp (chaperone), Emma Rich and Mark Stanford (chaperone).

Six teens and two adults represented Immaculate Heart of Mary Youth Ministry on a national service learning experience called Young Neighbors in Action, sponsored by the Center for Ministry Development. The trip, which took place June 22-28, was the culmination of months of preparation that included several learning sessions with their parents and fundraising activities that successfully defrayed the majority of the trip’s expenses.

The group traveled by van to Baltimore and slept on the floor of a classroom at Bishop Keough High School. They used their humble accomidations as a way to live in solidarity with the poor during the week. They spent three days serving St. Jerome Head Start, where they worked with children from families struggling in poverty. The consensus of the teens was that working with the children was the highlight of the trip. They were also impressed by the outstanding services offered to parents through the Head Start program. The teens also helped with cleaning and maintenance of the building and grounds.

The Austintown youth and their chaperones spent a day at the international headquarters of Catholic Relief Services, learning about poverty relief efforts throughout the world. Their education at CRS prepared them for a day in Washington, D.C., where they met with congressional leaders to discuss how government policies can assist with the eradication of poverty in our country and abroad.

Upon their return to Austintown, they hosted a reception for their donors, during which they shared their experienced and their learnings as well as their commitment to continue to serve locally. They and IHM youth leaders are already planning service opportunities before the end of the year for IHM teens and their families in the Mahoning Valley.

This service trip is one piece of expanded youth ministry offerings that have become a strong priority at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church.

Teen participants were Evan Dunn, Hannah Feeney, Shelby Lukas, Emma Rich, Angela Smith and Samantha Zarlengo. The adult chapernes were Olivia Cupp and Mark Stanford. For more information, visit www.ihm-parish.com.