Young people, ages 13–18 are invited to attend the first meeting in 2024 of the Brattleboro Area Interfaith Youth Group. The gathering will take place on Sunday, Jan. 14, from 5 to 7:30 p.m., at the First Congregational Church of West Brattleboro, supported by various local faith communities.
Attendees will get to know each other through participating in icebreakers, sharing a spaghetti meal, performing a community service project, and setting group and individual goals for the new year. There will be a discussion about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy with the Rev. Jeremy Kirk.
According to organizers, the purpose of this group is fellowship, fun, and service - making a difference in one's community - with church affiliation or attendance not expected.
"We will benefit from the perspectives of young people who are newly arrived refugees," group facilitator Brian Remer said in a news release. "This is a good time to bring a friend, or attend for the first time. We will be assessing if there is interest for a winter trip to New York City."
Past groups have tackled community service projects, social justice issues, learned about different faith traditions, canoed and camped together, held overnight "Lock-Ins" locally, attended youth leadership conferences, and explored New York City's diversity and rich traditions.
The goal for this group is to build leadership skills and friendships among young people who care about and want to make a difference in their communities.
In the past decade, the youth group performed community service in places as diverse as New Orleans, Kenya, St. Croix, El Salvador and the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. To ensure wide participation, the group raised funds leading up to each trip.
The First Congregational Church of West Brattleboro is located next to Academy School at 830 Western Ave. Each month, a different faith community hosts the group at their location. For information or to reserve a spot, contact Nanci Leitch at 802-258-8348 or nanci.leitch@gmail.com.
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.