Andrew Ellis at Kids Club Every year the Garden City Community Church Youth take a week away from their summer vacations to travel to another part of the country and serve a community in need. This summer was no different. On July 11th, 50 youth and leaders traveled in 5 large passenger vans to Rutland, VT! While in Rutland the youth were able to experience many different types of service and to meet and work with many different people. Each place the youth volunteered had its own particular needs.

A group of GCCC youth spent time at Camp Thorpe. Camp Thorpe is a summer sleep away camp for children and adults with special needs. Campers of all ages have a variety of physical and developmental needs. The Camp works to support each camper in the development of increased feelings of self-respect, new leisure skills, respect for others and for nature. Working as volunteers at the camp, GCCC youth cultivated meaningful relationships with the youth and adults at Camp Thorpe and experienced the joy and love they had to share, while also learning the gift of giving.

The Garden City Community Church Youth Group Other youth volunteers spent time at the Open Door Mission. The Open Door Mission is dedicated to providing meals and shelter to people in need. The Mission is a place where members of the community may get a hot meal and a warm bed 365 days a year. The volunteers at Open Door helped organize and clean the facility while also serving meals in the shelter.

The Pine Hill Park Partnership is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the maintenance and improvement of the trails at local Rutland Park. The youth who worked at Pine Hill spent their day clearing trails, cleaning up garbage and moving mountains (well boulders at least). They helped to preserve and create trails and learned how their work will help to stimulate the local economy.

The work group poses for a picture In addition to these programs, the youth also helped with Kids Club, and made visits to two nursing homes. The week’s experience and work left a strong impression on the Garden City Community Church Youth, who experienced first hand the biblical directive that is inscribed above the altar at the church on Stewart Ave church and reads , “Go Ye Into All the World”.

If you want to hear what the kids have to say about the trip, come to The Garden City Community Church on Sunday, Oct. 3rd at 9:30am when they will share their life changing experiences with members of the community.

Katie Masterson with a camper from Camp Thorpe The Garden City Community Church is a congregation of the United Church of Christ, an “Open and Affirming” church where all are welcome. Services are held at 8:00am and 10:30am each Sunday. Please join us on Rally Day, Sunday September 19th for Church School sign up at 9:30am and worship at 10:30am.