Building On Their Faith:

Youths Put Talents To Task For Betterment Of Community

Instead of going to the beach or relaxing with friends, as most teens do on summer weekends, a group of city and suburban youths from two diverse faiths devoted a recent Saturday to Habitat for Humanity and sprucing up Bridgeport’s east side.

About 35 youths and adults from the Miracle Faith World Outreach in Monroe and the Unitarian Universalist Society of Northern Fairfield County, based in Redding, volunteered their time and talents to building, landscaping, park improvement, and hauling furniture for Habitat for Humanity.

Most of the participating Miracle Faith youths and adults come from Bridgeport, Stamford, and other southwestern Connecticut cities, while UUSNFC volunteers came from Newtown, Bethel, Ridgefield, Danbury, Stamford, and Brewster, N.Y., for the day of service.

Volunteers met at the Habitat warehouse, the old Remington Arms Factory on Arctic Street, for an opening ceremony at 8:15 am. The youths divided into four distinct work parties, based on age and interests, three of them under the auspices of Habitat for Humanity, with the fourth facilitated by Groundwork Bridgeport.

The first group, composed of youths 16 and over and adults, did construction at a new Habitat for Humanity house, sponsored by the Pepperidge Farm Co on Mead Street. The second group planted grass and landscaped a completed Habitat house on Orchard Street.

A third team hauled household and office furniture from various sites in the area to the Habitat warehouse. This group worked the longest hours and contributed heavy labor along with youthful energy and bravado.

The fourth group made numerous improvements to a park at Stillman and Garfield Streets. Group members painted goal posts, marked a soccer field and hopscotch court, removed graffiti from playground equipment, and planted flowers and shrubs.

The park cleanup was organized through the auspices of Groundwork Bridgeport. Executive Director Brian Gockley supervised and participated in the activities and provided plants and supplies.

After observing what was going on, several neighborhood residents pitched in to help with the park cleanup, including Pinkerton Security Guard William Young and three area children.

The UUSNFC youth purchased two volleyball nets and balls for the park, using funds collected through a bottle and can drive over the previous year.

Several months earlier, the Miracle Faith and UUSNFC got together to get to know one another and plan their community service project. They had lunch at Miracle Faith’s Monroe facility and participated in get-acquainted and storyboarding activities, led by Regional Youth and Adult Substance Abuse Project Executive Director Robert Francis and training director Soraya Bilbao.

Storyboarding is a technique that enables everyone to have a say in a decision-making process. The youths wrote their choice of a community service project on a piece of sticky paper. The papers were then collected and categorized. Those with the highest number of votes won.

Building a house for someone in need, landscaping, and a family entertainment night won top billing. Park improvement also received a significant number of votes. Youth group leaders contacted Habitat for Humanity of Bridgeport, which enthusiastically endorsed the construction and landscaping plans. However, youths must be 16 or over to work at a Habitat construction site, or 14 or over to work at a landscaping site.

Since some of the youths were younger, Ms Bilbao suggested contacting Gockley, who readily agreed to arrange a park improvement project through the non-profit Groundwork Bridgeport. Plans for the family entertainment night are still in the works.

Newtown youths who participated in the day of service are Ryan Greene, Nicholas Doniger, Alexandra Doniger, and Matthew Schmidt.

Participating youth group leaders from Newtown included Brad Greene, James Wruck, Chris Schmidt, and Nancy Doniger.