Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Texas youth group lends a hand to locals in need

A group of youngsters from

the Christ United Methodist

Church give up their time

every year to man fundraisers.

The profits from those efforts

then go to pay for motels and

food, just so that the group of

youngsters can spend a week

of their summer vacation

working.

It may sound like an urban

myth, but for the second time

in five years, Nevada County

residents received the benefits

of this annual mission trip.

Abe Smith, spokesperson

for the group, said the youngsters

- who are in grades 9

through 12  participate in a

mission trip each year. The

trips are made to surrounding

states and the fact that contact

with Nevada County had

already been established

prompted the group to select

Nevada County again for their

2008 trip.

Smith said 130 youngsters

and 30 adults made the trip and

worked on 18 projects.

These covered an array of

jobs and the youngsters did the majority of the

work over their one-week stay. Smith said they

built wheelchair ramps, painted, roofed houses

and built porches and decks.

Those receiving the work paid nothing for

the services and were selected based on need.

Smith said the homeowners went through an

application process prior to the groups arrival

so that the projects were already selected.

While the youngsters worked, they also had

a chance to meet and bond with homeowners.

Its the greatest trip of the entire year,

Smith said. We feel were serving our neighbors."