Chapel teens serve New Orleans

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  A group of Hanscom teen volunteers recently traveled to New Orleans to minister to local residents, paint schools and prepare meals for the city's homeless as part of a Hanscom Protestant Chapel missionary trip June 26 through July 1.

The effort was the brainchild of 66th Air Base Group Chaplain (Capt.) Jerry St. Pierre, who coordinated the trip for 13 teens and nine chaperones from Hanscom.

"The team dynamic and the impact that this teen group had in such a short period of time was among the best I have ever seen," said St. Pierre, a New Orleans' native who has led other youth programs through similar missions in the past. "The amount of work that we got done, not just on improving buildings, but on building up people - which was the goal - made a difference in that community."

St. Pierre planned the event through a New Orleans-based organization that plans mission trips to the city for people of all ages.

"New Orleans is a community in need," said St. Pierre. "To know that we were able to go down and, in one week, leverage the love, the care, the compassion, the work ethic and the desire to touch people's lives all in one location, is very satisfying to the soul."

While St. Pierre led the team logistically, others involved in the Protestant Youth of the Chapel (PYOC) were responsible for building the team. Peggy Brooks, a military spouse, pitched the idea to a chapel teen group that meets at her house on base Sunday nights and she quickly had volunteers.

Among those who jumped at the opportunity were siblings Andrew and Alianna Kovalchek.

"I love helping people; I was all in when I first heard about this opportunity," said 17-year-old Alianna Kovalchek, whose family participated in a similar mission trip in the Philippines.

Organizers divided the teens in two: a painting team and a ministry team. The teens worked hand-in-hand with adult chaperones throughout the city from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Another teen eager to volunteer was 15-year old Ian Wood, who described the experience as "one of the best weeks of my life."

"It's a great feeling to know that we made a difference in people's lives by being there," he said.

The PYOC teen group, nicknamed "The Seekers," first formed in January.

"Within six months of launching the protestant teen group at Hanscom, we were in New Orleans serving and making a difference," said St. Pierre, who leads the Protestant community at the chapel. "That speaks to the teens' desire to serve others in need."

Among the many projects the teen-volunteers were involved in, teens have the satisfaction of knowing they left the city better than they found it.

"It was great to see how much better the schools looked after we finished each painting project," Wood said. The team painted a classroom and gymnasium at city schools, as well as a concession stand and several picnic tables.

In addition to painting, volunteers worked at a food pantry preparing meals for the city's homeless.

"Some of the youth unloaded trucks of canned goods at the pantry while others were in the kitchen preparing 600 meals that were delivered that day to members of the community," said St. Pierre.

While in New Orleans, the teens also participated in a prayer walk, delivered 40 prayer bags, volunteered in a community garden and more.

"I think our base, and our base chapel, is blessed to have this type of ministry happening," St. Pierre said.

Brooks highlighted that the teens learned important life lessons while in New Orleans.

"I think each of them learned that it is better to give than to receive - a lesson learned best through firsthand experience," she said. "Even small acts of kindness impact people and can make a difference. I think they will bring that enthusiasm to Hanscom Air Force Base and the local community."