Date: Fri 03-Jul-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

church-work-trip-West-Virginia

Full Text:

Work Trip Lands Local Teens In Weather-Beaten West Virginia

(with cuts)

BY KAAREN VALENTA

Seventy-four teenagers and adults from four Newtown churches arrived in St

Mary's, West Virginia, for a week-long workcamp mission last Sunday, just

hours after a devastating storm spawned tornadoes, heavy rain and flash

flooding along the Ohio River.

When the weather cleared on Monday, the 57 youths and 17 adults from Trinity

Episcopal, Newtown Congregational, St Rose, and Christ the King churches began

to work on homes that were not made inaccessible by the flooding.

"Everyone is fine. They're all in good spirits," said Connie Symes, a parent

in Newtown who received a phone call from her pastor, the Rev Kathleen

Adams-Shepherd of Trinity, soon after the group arrived.

The Newtown group is among several hundred young people and their adult

leaders, representing many churches from throughout the United States and

Canada, who are participating in the Whistle Stop Workcamp to repair and

weatherize more than 50 houses of elderly, low-income and disabled people.

"There are several job sites that the group couldn't reach because of flooding

and poor road conditions," Mrs Symes said. "But they are hoping that this will

change as the week progresses."

The work projects are done under adult supervision. Six-person crews are

assigned according to the crew members' skills and the needs of a specific

project so the Newtown youth are working on crews with youth from other areas.

The Newtown group is staying at the Pleasance County Middle School complex

located in Benton, a town adjacent to St Mary's along the Ohio River between

Parkersburg and Wheeling.

Although the weekend storms caused deaths in other West Virginia towns, there

were no fatalities in the St Mary's area. Power lines were down, however, and

there was only one emergency telephone in the school where the Newtown group

was staying.

The renovation project is sponsored by Group Workcamps, an interdenominational

Christian organization based in Colorado. The workcamp participants pay for

their own transportation and personal expenses.

"Through their work, these young people will gain a life-changing

understanding of poverty," said Donna Miklaszewski, whose children, Jodi and

Kacey, were part of the Newtown contingent.

"The workcamp provides a unique opportunity for young people to show their

Christian faith by working together to help others," she added.

Mrs Symes' husband, Curt, and two children, Catherine, 17, and Christopher,

15, also are on the trip.

The other students include Sarah Adams-Shepherd, Dan Bouchard, Cuyler Bryant,

Whitney Cross, Amanda Cruz, Kaitlin Dunseith, James Dunseith, Stephen

Dukenski, Erin Dudley, Ryan Eberts, Cannon Jones, Kyle Jones, Jenna Kelkres,

Lindsay Kelkres, Shawna King, Allison Lindquist, Kate Macknight, Dan Maxwell,

Chris McNeil, Katie Miller, Todd Palo, Hallie Pierce, Helene Powers, Lisa

Rodriguez, Rachel Romanelli, Shannon Rouse, Ken Seferi, Cassie Shewmaker, Ben

Smith, Maggie Tomasiewicz, Steve Tomasiewicz, Russ Vanscotter, Grant Werbeck,

Jonathan Werbeck, Karina Wolfe, Tiffany Wolfe, Kendall Zimmerman, Cassi

Bagaglio, Jackie Barresi, Joe Blanchard, Jessica Davis, Tim Gordon, Melissa

Henry, Jessica Kovatch, Kara Kunst, Jacki LaChapelle, Nicki LaChapelle, Alyssa

Lacouture, Chelsea Leaman, Kate Morrissey, Tracy Mulholland, Tyler Stowell,

and Spencer Swain.

The students left Newtown on Saturday and traveled to Hershey Park, Pa., where

they visited the amusement park and stayed overnight in nearby Chambersburg.

Pastor Kathie of Trinity had flown to Detroit for the ordination of the Rev

Kurt Hubert, who will become the youth minister at Trinity in September. The

two flew to Harrisburg, Pa., to join the rest of the group Saturday evening.

The other adult sponsors with the Newtown youth at the workcamp include the

Rev Steve Gordon of Newtown Congregational Church, Dick Cogswell, Jim Miller,

Judy Pierce, Jim Rodriguez, Karen Romanelli, Ana Steegan, Mary Tomasiewicz,

Arlene Urbanski, Ron Davis, and Ana Vantroy. Adult staff volunteers are Lynn

Christner, Nancy Edwards Cogswell, and Larry Coleman.