Church Youth Groups Come To Grand Rapids To Help

If someone starts criticizing the young people of today, ask them to take a second look.  There are a lot of good "kids" out there.

This is such a "feel good" story, because yesterday at noon, buses and vans filled with church youth groups from around the United States arrived in Grand Rapids ready to repair nearly 80 homes with basic carpentry, roof repair and painting.

WZZM TV13 reported they will spend the week "camping" at Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School by sleeping, eating and having evening programs at the school. The Grand Rapids Workcamp is sponsored by Catholic Charities West Michigan (CCWM).

They will be in town until Saturday, July 16, 2011, working on houses for elderly, disabled and underprivileged homeowners in the greater Grand Rapids area who were selected through an application and review process.

The repairs the campers make will allow residents to remain in homes that might have otherwise been deemed unsafe for habitation. The service of over 470 high schoolers and sponsors represents 12,000 hours of volunteer labor worth at least $80,000 to our community.

For more information about the Grand Rapids Workcamp, contact CCWM Outreach Coordinator Scott Lillie at (616) 551-5661.