St. Stephen's Youth News!

Mission Trip 2011

From Sunday, July 17th until Saturday, July 23rd, 2011, nine youth and two adult leaders from St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Westborough were on a mission trip to Portland, Maine where they worked with a non-profit organization called The Root Cellar to help inner-city youth and their families. Started in 1984, The Root Cellar serves the poverty stricken East side of Portland, where many refugees have settled over the past 20 years.
Prior to the trip the Youth spent the year raising funds to pay the expenses of the trip. Once they reached Portland, under the guidance of a ministry coordinator, the group spent time with the children, playing games with them, putting on a child’s tea and fashion show as part of a clothing distribution for women and girls and running a children’s program called the Kid’s Club that taught about gardening and helping the earth. In addition to working with the children, the Youth Group was assigned a project of cleaning up a minipark area. They turned it into a kid friendly park complete with flowers which resulted in many people of the community expressing their gratitude to the St. Stephen’s Youth. The members of the Youth Group felt it was a very successful trip and, if possible, they hope to return next year.

Mission Trip 2010

The St. Stephen's youth group traveled to Portland Maine on July 25 for their 2010 mission trip. Portland does not only face the challenges that many inner cities face but they also have a large population of refugee's from Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia. Many of these families consists of single mothers and their children who have come to America having lost not only husbands and fathers but their means of surviving. With the summer here we all look for activities for our children to be productive and most of all to remain safe. However for these families it is a bit more difficult. Due to culture, language differences, and lack of support it makes it difficult to find available resources. “The Root Cellar is an interdenominational Christian mission with a goal of uniting churches in the common cause of satisfying the physical and spiritual needs of inner-city youth and their families.”

Thanks to everyone who supported us through our bake sales, car washes, yard sale, and the many thoughtful donations! Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated!

Youth Participation in CityReach / Common Cathedral

St. Stephen's youth participated in Boston's CityReach/ Common Cathedral on April 30 - May 1 of this year.
It's an opportunity to learn more about homelessness and from those that are currently homeless or have been homeless in the past. It's also an opportunity to provide ministry to the poor and homeless by offering hospitality, food, and clothing. ( http://www.ecclesia-ministries.org/ )

Read the article from the local newspaper...