Students impact Rockford with a week of community service

From press release

More than 290 students will gather in Rockford to begin a week of service projects in the surrounding communities beginning July 5. The 290-plus teen-agers will be working on various projects that include painting, yard work and home repair in various locations throughout Rockford completely free-of-charge to the recipients.

These students are working on these projects as a part of the Christ In Youth program, Know Sweat. Every summer, Know Sweat has connected Christian youth groups with service needs in communities across the United States. Participating students will work during the days completing the week’s projects and spend the evenings in a church or college gathering to worship and share about the day’s stories.

Program Director Matt Gilchrist said: “This generation of students we are helping mobilize is more concerned with others than they are given credit for. They realize the incredible impact they can have on others with something as simple as a paint brush or a rake. This world is not hopeless and this week students from all over the country are here Engaging Hope in the places where they are working.”

The Know Sweat team spends months scouting out appropriate cites and projects in cities throughout America that would be fitting for teams of students to work on. The projects usually come from partnerships with community organizations, referrals and from local churches that have indentified a need for helping hands in their community.

“It is a big sacrifice to give up a week of summer vacation as a teen-ager and work for someone you’ve never met before,” Gilchrist said. “These students realize they can provide hope in these situations, not just by working on projects, but by learning about the people they serve and pouring into them as well.”

Know Sweat is a part of the non-profit organization Christ In Youth and has been performing service projects since 1995. In 2010, Know Sweat will host 15 service projects in 10 cities across the United States. More than 3,000 teen-agers from youth groups throughout the nation will participate in a week of Know Sweat to serve others who could use a helpful hand.

Christ In Youth

For more than 40 years, Christ In Youth (CIY) has provided events, missions opportunities and resources to advance student ministry in the local church. More than 50,000 students and leaders will attend at least one of CIY’s 120 programs held throughout 21 countries each year. Christ In Youth advances student ministry in the local church by providing events, trips and resources that amplify Christ’s call on student lives to become Kingdom workers. For more information, visit CIY online at www.ciy.com.

From the June 30-July 6, 2010 issue