Disciple: The Kids Are Alright
Youth rally behind Episcopal Farmworker Ministry
By Summerlee Walter
Noah Showalter likes to come here on Saturdays.
On this grey, rainy day, the fourteen year old is busy: stabilizing pallets full of food as the truck’s hydraulic lift lowers them to the ground, hefting boxes off of the concrete floor and onto tables, unpacking their contents. Periodically, Noah stops to chat with the rest of the crew. Normally, when it’s not raining, he breaks for pick-up soccer games with the people who have arrived both to volunteer and to pick up the food that will allow their families to get through the coming week.
Noah’s father, Jon, is with him today, but his mother, Becky, and his little sister, Kylie, also volunteer regularly. It’s a family affair, really, this regular commitment to serve.
The family’s dedication to this ministry started in 2005, long before Noah was strong enough to move heavy boxes, when his parents agreed to drive the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle from its warehouse in Raleigh down Interstate 40 to the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry in Newton Grove on behalf of their parish, Church of the Nativity, Raleigh. The whole family doesn’t make the journey together anymore, but Noah still accompanies his parents whenever he can.
“Helping out doesn’t have to be boring; it can be really fun, too,” Noah said. “It’s really cool to see these people you start knowing if you do this every single month.”
As the Harvest for Hospitality campaign to support the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry (EFwM) winds down with 50 in 50, it’s time to take a moment to recognize some of the campaign’s most dedicated supporters: the youth of the Diocese of North Carolina. Whether visiting the camps with their youth group, engaging in parish fundraising activities or letting their inspiration guide them to support the ministry in other ways, the diocese’s young people have participated fully in Harvest for Hospitality.
A LESSON IN DETERMINATION
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Justin Padmos unloads his handcrafted benches. |
When it came time for Justin Padmos to choose his Eagle Scout project, a visit to the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry made his choice easy. While dropping off a collection of clothing, he realized the ministry’s outdoor worship area, which on Sundays serves as the sanctuary for one of the largest Episcopal congregations in the state, was devoid of seating. At the time, Justin didn’t know Harvest for Hospitality had increased the Diocese’s focus on the ministry — he just saw a way he could make farmworkers’ lives easier.
Justin found a few bench designs online and picked the one that seemed easiest to build, but it turned out to be a bit more complicated than he thought.
“[It] actually was quite challenging given the level of woodworking skills and tools required,” he said.
Unexpected challenges became the theme of Justin’s project as a serious knee injury sidelined the lacrosse player before he could cut a single board. Reconstructive surgery led to six months of additional hospitalizations and intravenous antibiotics after he developed a post-operative infection.
When he was finally able to return to his Eagle Scout project, Justin found willing helpers. His youth group at Holy Comforter, Burlington, hosted a bake sale to raise funds, other parishioners chipped in to sponsor benches, his local Lowe’s gave him a generous discount on supplies, and friends helped him cut frames and assemble benches.
Justin’s hard work culminated with the delivery of 12 handcrafted benches on August 9, the day after his 17th birthday. The Rev. Tony “Father Tony” Rojas, EFwM’s sacramental minister, was so thankful for the benches that he was brought nearly to tears.
“I am truly humbled by this experience and am proud to have made a small difference in the lives of the people who work so hard to help pick our crops,” Justin said.
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Kennon Later and the Rev. Tony Rojas pose with the 5,000 tubes of toothpaste and 5,000 toothbrushes Kennon collected. |
FIVE THOUSAND TUBES OF TOOTHPASTE
If you’ve wondered what 5,000 tubes of toothpaste looks like, Kennon Later can tell you.
Kennon, a student at Saint Mary’s School in Raleigh, and a member of Emmanuel, Southern Pines, was inspired to do more after a summer mission trip to the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry with her youth group. Like many groups visiting the ministry, Emmanuel’s youth sorted boxes of clothing and toiletries into care packages for the farmworkers. It was distributing the bags in a camp, however, that started Kennon on her mission.
“I was inspired by seeing where the farmworkers live and seeing the terrible conditions,” Kennon said. “They still had such a positive attitude. I thought they deserve a lot more than they’re given.”
After returning home, Kennon wrote a letter, printed on church letterhead, to the Colgate Company requesting 5,000 tubes of toothpaste and 5,000 toothbrushes. What happened next is pretty unusual: Kennon got what she requested.
“I spoke with a former employee of the UNC Dental School [after learning of Kennon’s donation], and she informed me that it is quite difficult to obtain product donations from manufacturers like Colgate,” Patti Trainor, development coordinator at EFwM, explained.
When asked why she thought her letter was so well-received, Kennon zeroes in on the heart of what makes all of these youth successful in their respective ministries.
“My letter was really heartfelt and truthful. I told it like it was and spoke from my heart. I think that came through.”
Summerlee Walter is the communications coordinator for the Diocese of North Carolina. Contact her.
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