Youth group members from St. Francis Parish assist Habitat for Humanity

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
August 28, 2003

ROCKWELL CITY - A week of travel and service for members of the St. Francis Youth Group began with a morning Mass and blessing for safe travel and doing God's work.

Members of the St. Francis Youth Group went to Kansas City for the fourth year to assist the Northland Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity from Aug. 4 through 8. The group traveled in vans to Kansas City and while they were there, they stayed in a Presbyterian church.

"Habitat for Humanity is non-denominational, but it is very Christian-based organization," said Peg Stoolman, youth minister at St. Francis Parish. "We worked with a lot of different denomination people. We work side-by-side with the people that will be moving in. The gratefulness, that they have this opportunity, is just overwhelming."

Group members from previous habitat trips included Adam Johnson, Matthew Miller, Shelby Stoolman and Amanda Nees. First timers were Kim Meyer, Ashlee Johnson, Michael Johnson, Mathew Johnson and Chad Monahan. The students were accompanied on the trip by youth ministers Lowell and Peg Stoolman and chaperones John and Gayle Johnson.

The students had fundraisers such as car washes and serving for anniversary celebrations to raise money for the trip and had assistance from parishioners and church organizations as well.

For the Johnson family, this was not only a service trip but a family vacation. They thought it would be something neat to do as a family.

The group worked on several different things at the job site in Kansas City including painting, cleaning, installing storm doors, landscaping and cement projects.

"Last year and this year, we met the homeowners, the people that will be living in the houses that are being built," said Shelby Stoolman. "They probably haven't really had a nice home or have been living in an apartment too small for their family. Seeing them working on their homes, you can tell they are really excited about it. It is really neat to see the people who will receive the benefits of the charity."

The heat was pretty brutal for the group, but they kept hydrated so there was no illness or injury, commented Peg Stoolman.

"There are tons of volunteers that come down," said Shelby Stoolman. "When they get done with work or when they are finished with their own day, they come ready to help build someone else's home. I think that is really neat to see so many people involved in such a good charity."

The guys spent the week forming a sidewalk that was handicapped accessible that went down the whole front length of one side of the block.

"Kids have a need to see how others live," said Peg Stoolman. "If our generation doesn't teach community service to our children, they may never learn it."

They did touch-up painting and cleaning in one home for the family that was moving in the Friday that they left. That house was done and ready for the family to move in.

"The kids gave selflessly of themselves," said Peg Stoolman. "They did work down there in 100 degree weather that they probably wouldn't have done for pay back home. Not one of them complained about it. They just dug in and did it. That was why they were there, and they felt that was the right thing to do."

After one house was done, they started helping with another house. They did caulking around bathtubs and touch-up painting throughout the house.

"We strive real hard to teach them to give back to the community," said Peg Stoolman. "I think kids, at least our kids are pretty privileged, they don't think they are, but they are. They get some kind of eye-opening experiences from these trips. We have not always worked in the nicest of neighborhoods. This particular one was very nice, there was a new housing addition going up on the other side of the block to see that not everyone is as privileged as they are and that there is a need for them to give back."

The group enjoyed their productive week in Kansas City and are back in Rockwell City with the sense of having helped another community.

"It went really well," said Shelby Stoolman. "It was hot. We took a lot of breaks, but I felt like we got a lot done. This year was neat because we got to see finished houses. In the past two years, we have seen houses right at their beginning stages. They were just pouring basements, or they were in the middle where the frame was up. The insides weren't anywhere close to being done.

"This year we got to see a finished house and do touch-up work on it. It was neat to see the final result of the homes that these people are going to live in."

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, nondenominational, Christian organization, which welcomes people to help build simple, decent, affordable houses in partnership with those in need of adequate shelter, according to the Habitat Web site.

Habitat has built more than 125,000 houses in 87 countries, including 45,000 in the United States.