"The best week of my life!"

A WITNESS FROM TAYLOR WIGNER

This week was the best week of my life! My team is team Maymont. We went to ARC camp yesterday. It is called Camp Baker. It is for people with disabilities. They were fun and nice! I met a bunch of cool people there, too! I met someone called Chris. He is so cool and nice!

They have a talent show every Thursday for everyone. And Chris was going to sing Bruno Mars. We then met some other people like John, David and Timothy Strong. Timothy was so funny and AWESOME! He likes movies like zombies and he has a DVD player. He has a man cave, too! He also likes wrestling, too. They were all so funny and nice! I am so happy they had fun. They leave on Fridays and come back on Sundays. I had fun volunteering and I hope I can come back next year.

"Just a few miles away there is someone who needs our help..."

A WITNESS BY LUCIA FOGLER 

Yesterday my group (Team Maymont) went to help "Building a Better RPS". Building a Better RPS is an organization where companies and other organizations help beautify the curb appeal of all 44 properties that house Richmond Public Schools. At first we went to Woodville Elementary to help there. Upon arriving we were told that the mulch had been delivered to the back of the school instead of where we needed it, in the front. Since this mission trip is about serving others we were flexible and went to MLK Jr. Middle School to help there with another group. For most of the morning at MLK Jr. Middle we weeded all the flower beds in the front of the school before the mulch was laid down.

After lunch we went to the Sophie House. This is where single women and moms can come to the community center and get the resources that they need to help their families. Half of our group worked outside putting new wood down for the flower beds. The rest of the group worked inside folding and delivering clothes to the clothes closet next door and covering old signs so that they could be used again.

Even though these services were very different we saw how important our work was to not only the people who would receive it but the people running the organizations. It inspired us to keep on serving even after the mission trip was over because just a few miles away there is someone who needs our help here in Richmond.

Quality Time with our Northside Neighbors

A WITNESS BY NATALIE HOERRNER

On Tuesday, my group went to the Northside YMCA to help with the kids. Lucia, Emma, and I introduced ourselves to the Kindergarteners and first graders and they were already so friendly. They had such big smiles on their faces when they learned that we were coming to the playground with them. As soon as we got to the playground they were all grasping on to us and asking for us to play with them. After the playground, we played games and did crafts with them. They were so fun to talk to and they weren't shy at all. It was such an amazing day and I'm so glad we got to spend it with such great kids.

Our youth mission team served children of the Northside YMCA summer camp.  With a focus on nurturing the potential of every child and teen, improving the nation’s health and well-being and providing opportunities to give back and support neighbors, the Y enables youth, adults, families and communities to be healthy, confident, connected and secure.

"An impactful and amazing day!"

A WITNESS BY RYAN ARNOLD
 
My team, Team James River, went to Fairfield Court Elementary School yesterday to work with RPS. In helping them prepare for the coming school year, we weeded the front entrance, mulched 6,400(!) pounds of mulch into the area surrounding the trees and bushes, and leaf blew the sidewalk. Everyone did amazing!

Zoe and Ellie worked with me as we spread the mulch and we had some pretty awesome conversations, Jack and Justin did a lot of the heavy lifting and wheel barreled the majority of the mulch, and William did a great job with the leaf blower. All of our teamwork led to us finishing a half an hour earlier than the time we were expected to finish. We ate lunch and then traveled to Commonwealth Senior Living where we helped flatten paper bags from grocery stores. All of those paper bags would be crocheted into a mattress or bag for the homeless, which is pretty cool! After that, some of the senior citizens decided to teach us dominoes and we had fun playing a few rounds. We then played a few rounds of Bingo where William and Zoe dominated.

We took showers and then went to Bryan Park, where we had a cookout prepared by a few members of the Youth Ministry Team. We had a great time and overall had an impactful and amazing day!

Spreading mulch at Fairfield Court Elementary School.

Quality time with residents of Commonwealth Senior Living Center.