HOPE Youth Leadership program Sacrifices Spring Break - 3/17/2009

Teenagers in the HOPE Youth Leadership program gave up a portion of their Spring Break to help those less fortunate, volunteering to make and serve meals at the Angel House Soup Kitchen in Austin.

The kids helped make nearly 400 sandwiches, filled just as many bowls with fruit, wrapped napkins around plastic forks and spoons, then helped serve sandwiches, homemade soup, rolls and dessert to the poor who had been waiting for more than two hours for a hot meal.

“This is a chance for the kids to give back to those less fortunate, even though many of them are from economically challenged homes,” said Sarah Kuykendall, Program Supervisor for HOPE, an acronym for “Healthy Opportunities that Protect and Empower.”

A ministry of Texas Baptist Children’s Home, HOPE conducts after-school programs in Round Rock area apartment complexes. The Youth Leadership group is for middle school and high school students.

“One of our goals is to teach the kids about what’s going on in the community by helping their neighbors,” said Kuykendall. Each Thanksgiving, Youth Leadership volunteers deliver holiday baskets to families in need. This was the first time they had served at Angel House.

Frank Deutsch, who started Angel House at Austin Baptist Chapel in 1986, depends on volunteers from local churches and other organizations to prepare meals seven days a week. Youngsters, especially, learn a great deal from the experience.

“I often hear from parents who tell me about the impact it had on the children who come in to volunteer,” he said. “They often see a side of life that isn’t like anything they have experienced.”

To find out more, visit the HOPE page on the TBCH Web site.