Joplin Volunteers are Working Hard in the Summer Heat
By: KODE/KSN, Joplin, MO
Updated: June 28, 2012
(Joplin, MO)--Thousands of volunteers are in Joplin to help with rebuilding efforts after the May 22nd tornado. Some of them are children who want to give back, spending their summer vacation helping total strangers.
Many of these kids are just entering middle school, but they're learning a good lesson this summer.
And that lesson is about giving back to people you don't even know.
Volunteers come in all ages, including the very young.
More than a hundred middle school students came to Joplin to give back.
They're part of the Christ in Youth group. And they're spending the week helping at a local school.
"As they leave they get to know people, develop a heart for people," explains Ben Hedger with Christ in Youth. "..take the principals they've learned here and go to their community, learn to love the city they live in."
The group called Joplin schools to find out how they could help on their mission trip, and they recommended painting the walls at South Middle School.
Abby Woerther is a 7th grader from Kansas City and she says camps like this are better than sitting at home. "It's not that I need something to do, so why not paint hall ways. It's because I want to serve. And again it's the right thing to do. It's a lot better than sitting on the couch feeling sorry for yourself."
And the camp has a simple motto. "Love your city, love this city. So when we go back home be a neighbor to everybody. Love everybody. Be kind to everyone."
And the kids say volunteering warms your heart. "It really helps people out. It's a feeling you can't get anywhere else," says 12-year old Micah Slagle.
And the group will be at it again today (Thursday), washing school buses.
Many of these kids are just entering middle school, but they're learning a good lesson this summer.
And that lesson is about giving back to people you don't even know.
Volunteers come in all ages, including the very young.
More than a hundred middle school students came to Joplin to give back.
They're part of the Christ in Youth group. And they're spending the week helping at a local school.
"As they leave they get to know people, develop a heart for people," explains Ben Hedger with Christ in Youth. "..take the principals they've learned here and go to their community, learn to love the city they live in."
The group called Joplin schools to find out how they could help on their mission trip, and they recommended painting the walls at South Middle School.
Abby Woerther is a 7th grader from Kansas City and she says camps like this are better than sitting at home. "It's not that I need something to do, so why not paint hall ways. It's because I want to serve. And again it's the right thing to do. It's a lot better than sitting on the couch feeling sorry for yourself."
And the camp has a simple motto. "Love your city, love this city. So when we go back home be a neighbor to everybody. Love everybody. Be kind to everyone."
And the kids say volunteering warms your heart. "It really helps people out. It's a feeling you can't get anywhere else," says 12-year old Micah Slagle.
And the group will be at it again today (Thursday), washing school buses.
