July 10-16 seventeen high school students and seven adults from the Presbyterian Church in Morristown set out to Jasper, NY with RISE to serve the people of Steuben County. We had a week full of fun, hard work, sweat, and lots of laughter. During our week we will able to serve and connect with three families in the Steuben County area, making their homes warmer, safer, and dryer.
One group painted, spackled, and did a variety of other repairs. This group was able to serve and minister to a woman who had just lost her husband the week before. Another group spent their week making a family safer, warmer, and drier by building a new roof structure on top of their current home structure. During their week serving this family, they connected and bonded with the family they were serving. The third group re-did a porch roof and built a new porch for a family. With a family of 6 kids, two sets of grandparents nearby, and friends and neighbors of all ages stopping by to say hello, there was never a dull moment between working hard on the porch and getting to know this new community.
Here’s a description of the week in students’ own words:
“RISE brought me back to a more simple day and age in the small town of Jasper. Working for people who really needed it but didn’t have the means to afford it really took its effect on me, and I realized how lucky I was to be a part of something bigger for the benefit of others. –Leo, a recent high school graduate”
“Rise was one of the best weeks of my youth group. I love how hard working the kids are and growing closer to one another.”
- Sasha, a recent high school graduate
It is amazing what each of these teams from the church accomplished in just a week’s time and the joy with which they served! The Presbyterian Church in Morristown is blessed with a fantastic group of hardworking students and adults that patiently teach these students new skills. Each and every student will take these skills and experiences from this past week into the rest of their lives. Their hard work truly made a difference in the lives of these three families they were able to get to know and serve over the week.
Thanks for leading these amazing experiences with our youth, and thanks for posting here and on MorristownGreen.com to let others know what they are missing!