Fundraising has begun for the 2020 trip being planned by Newtown Ecumenical Workcamp Servants (NEWS).

The group is comprised of Newtown youth in grades 9-12, representing many local houses of worship. Each year, these youth participate in a service trip to a community in need. In the past, the group has served in Rockford, Ill.; Pittsburgh, Penn.; Biloxi, Miss.; Hinton, W.Va.; and Chavies, Ky.

This year, the group — 48 youth and 12 chaperones — will travel to Puerto Rico to assist the people and communities there with ongoing hurricane disaster relief.

After widespread devastation to Puerto Rico in 2017 due to Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the efforts to recover will continue for years to come. While in Puerto Rico, NEWS youth and chaperones will serve alongside local churches in their efforts to clean up, rebuild, and support local community members.

The NEWS youth make a year-long commitment to the program, participating in many fundraising and team-building events as well as local service projects to support neighbors in Newtown and Sandy Hook.

Laura Roche, who helps coordinate NEWS events and serves as a chaperone, said the group this year needs to raise approximately $40,000.

“The cost is high,” she said, “due to the flights, and we have to also raise money for construction supplies.”

While an overnight outdoor sleepathon in January and a major breakfast event in February generally serve to cover most of NEWS’s fundraising efforts, this year’s group has launched another event. In December, NEWS introduced reusable shopping bags featuring a design by local graphic designer Ryan Patrick.

The bags feature the town’s flagpole, the outside of Connecticut with a heart within the map where Newtown is located, the word “home,” and a rooster, all done with a single line. Crafted from 100 percent recycled materials, the bags also feature the note, “I used to be a plastic bottle.”

The eco-friendly bags feature a spacious main compartment and gussets. They measure 13 inches wide by 15 inches high and 8 inches deep.

They are available with blue background and black backgrounds. The blue bags have side panels featuring a pattern of blue bottles, while the black background bags have side panels with a splatter dot pattern.

They began selling in early December among friends and families of NEWS participants.

In late December, two workcampers offered “a spontaneous sales effort,” according to Ms Roche. On December 22, Emi Rosenthal and Caroline Tousignant set up a stand at Newtown Community Center, where they sold bags for a few hours to the public.

While additional site-specific sales events have yet to be scheduled, Ms Roche said bags will be available for purchase after January 1 at BD Provisions, 123 South Main Street. The bags are two for $10.

For additional information or to arrange for a bag purchase, Ms Roche can be reached at 203-219-1748.

Workcamp efforts last well beyond each year’s fundraising efforts, or even the trips the young adults embark on.

“Throughout the year and especially once they reach their destination, the youth recognize the value of their efforts when they learn how they can improve the living conditions, the spirits, and even the faith of the people they work for,” Ms Roche said in an October NEWS statement. “They discover firsthand that regardless of geography, education, or economic class, we are all equal members of the family of God.”