Teens from Flanders parish honored to serve those in need

FLANDERS  Ben Weiss, 16, of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish here witnessed something while volunteering at the Mount Olive Food Pantry last week that touched his heart. A young boy, who was helping pick out food with his family, got so excited the pantry had his favorite cereal, that he hugged the box.

“It was a family of a mom, two kids, and a baby. They didn’t have food. The kids were happy to be able to get simple things like cereal. It was heartwarming,” Weiss said. He volunteered at the food pantry on Aug. 12 with two other teens from SPARK, St. Elizabeth’s youth-ministry program, including his twin brother, Jared. They were accompanied by two adults. “It felt great to help people, who are in need,” Weiss said.

This summer, the Weiss brothers joined about a dozen St. Eliza­beth teens for a “grand tour” of social service volunteer opportunities in the parish and at non­profit agencies, called Summer Mission Days. On five days from July 22 to Aug. 13, they got to tour and volunteer at Mount Olive Food Pantry at Christ Church, Budd Lake, and Market Street Mission, Morristown. In the church, some young people helped conduct a clinic for their fellow teens at St. Elizabeth, who want to become lectors and ushers for the Morris County parish’s monthly Teen Mass, said Corinne Kilkeary, St. Elizabeth’s SPARK youth minister, who coordinated this summer of service.

“The teens had opportunities to grow, engage, and serve people who need help, so that they might ignite the fire of God’s love in our community,” said Kilkeary, who noted that some of the teens signed up to satisfy some of their Confirmation service hours. Teens had a choice to sign up for the work sites that they wanted to serve. “They are learning that these opportunities are some of the ways to love other people. There are many options to make an impact — for years beyond Confirma­tion,” she said.

For the last three Summer Mission Days in August, teens served the Mount Olive Food Pantry. There they toured the facility, which feeds 150 families. The staff talked about how the shelves were well stocked during their visits, but would be empty soon on pick-up day for clients. Volunteers brought in food that was donated by St. Elizabeth’s parishioners. From all the donations, they separated the items that had expiration dates in 2022 and 2023. Teens were also helping pantry staff prepare to put together food baskets for the holidays, teen participants told The Beacon.

“It made me more appreciative of what I have but also gave me a feeling of accomplishment to be a part of something like this to help the community,” said Jared Weiss, who along with his brother, Ben, has experience working in a local grocery store.

Helping process the new donations along with the teens was Joy Rastiello, St. Elizabeth’s social media coordinator.

“The kids get to see the hunger and pain in their own neighborhood. It’s rewarding for them to help,” Rastiello said.

The first day of Mission Summer Days, July 22, was spent at Market Street Mission, a Christian non-profit, which reaches out to the homeless, hungry, and addicted with everything they need to get back on their feet and live stable, productive lives. During a tour, the teens learned that the facility offers clients food, shelter, counseling, substance-abuse treatment, job training, spiritual guidance, and Bible study, they said.

That day, the teens were moved by testimony from a man named “Coach,” who had been scouted by the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team. His sports career was derailed when he got into drugs. Later, he got clean thanks to Market Street Mission. Today, “Coach” coaches new clients in the treatment program, participating teens told The Beacon.

“It’s remarkable to see what Market Street Mission does and how effective they are,” said Collin Riviello, 17. The teens, he said, also helped organize the system of giving out winter coats to the poor and homeless in November and wrote cards of congratulations to the men, who were graduating the treatment program.

Giving the tour was Debbie McKenna, Market Street Mission’s volunteer and event manager, who called the St. Elizabeth teens “a great group. The tour opened their eyes to what we do here so they can get the word out and it taught them ways that they can love God’s people in a tangible way,” McKenna said.

The second Summer Mission Day, Aug. 6, involved the teens helping teach some of their fellow young people to serve as an usher or lector. At a seminar in the church, lectors learned that “Scripture is God’s story of salvation, which they should read in an engaging way,” Kilkeary said.

The Summer Mission Days are a continuation of SPARKS’ monthly service projects throughout the year. They include food, toy, shoe, and coat drives, a birthday ministry at a local senior facility, making 150 bag lunches for the homeless on city streets, and packing food for the weekend for pre-school families in Paterson, served by diocesan Catholic Charities agencies. SPARK also holds spiritual activities, such as Stations of the Cross, Kilkeary said.

After volunteering at Market Street Mission, Riviello told The Beacon, “It makes me feel good to help someone out. I thought it would be a chore, but it is not. Instead, it’s an inspiration to be part of something like this again.”