Cornerstone teens collects 1,200 bags of food for Newark Neighbours

The senior youth group at Cornerstone Community Church collected nearly as much food as last year, however, this year the food has been donated to Newark Neighbours Food Bank.

“We historically have worked with St. Catharines Community Care, but this year, we knew that Newark Neighbours is a local group and they have a new location, and they can handle a large amount of food,” said youth ministry director Michael Reimer.

Reimer said the youth group decided to keep their food drive local, in “our own community, where our church is, so that we can serve people around us.”

For Newark Neighbours board chair Cindy Grant, this “ensures that we have sufficient supply of food to fill the Christmas hampers.”

“It’s beyond wonderful,” she said.

The hampers will be handed out to the food bank’s registered clients, added Grant. “We always do manage to fill them, but sometimes it’s a bit of a scramble at the end to make sure we’ve got enough. However, when we get into January and February and March, these things start to tail off and then you know we start to scramble a bit. I’m quite confident with what we’ve received already we are not going to have that problem. After Christmas we are still going to be able to have full shelves.”

About 60 teens in the senior youth group organized bags, stapled instructions to them and then dropped them off to 1,200 homes in the Virgil area. Over the past three years, they have increased the number of bags from 500, then 800 and 1,000 bags last year.

“On Halloween night, we go around and pick up the filled bags that are out on porches,” said Reimer, “while the teens trick or treat.”

“It’s great that we have youth who want to be able to serve,” he added.

Youth group member Keza Hiebert looks forward to the food drive every year, not because it’s fun running around town, but because it’s such a great and easy opportunity to help people. “I really hope we as teenagers are setting the example of God’s love for this generation,” Hiebert says.

“It’s amazing to see the community come together and give generously to such an amazing cause,” agrees group member Hudson Dyck. “It’s such a blessing to be part of the process and be able to show gods love to others in that way.”

Last year the teens gathered more than 4,000 pounds of food. Newark Neighbours does not have the technology to weigh incoming donations, but Reimer thinks they collected the same, or more.

“It’s an amazing amount,” he said. “The community filled for us again, and we’re just the people who go around and collect. It’s actually a community thing.”

“It is such a unique experience being able to give back to the community that you live in and show God’s love through your work,” said group member Noah Whyte.

“Serving my community means embracing a shared responsibility we have to come together and serve those in need,” added Brody Hall. “This is our way as a church to extend Jesus’ hand of provision to those who might have less on their plate. Serving my community means showing the love of Jesus through acts of kindness like the food drive.”

The senior youth group gathers twice a week. On Tuesdays, the senior Youth Bible Study meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The regular senior youth program meets on Fridays from 7 to 9:30 p.m. High school students are welcome to join any evening at their town campus, 1570 Niagara Stone Road. Details can be found at ccchurch.ca.

As the holiday season approaches, Grant said the community can still support families and individuals in need with the donation of food and toys. “Just keep it coming,” she said.