Photo by Alan M. Dumoff
From Sunday, Aug. 10 through Saturday, Aug. 16, youth from the Diocese of Camden took part in Summer In the City, gaining awareness about and serving communities in Atlantic and Cape May counties. Above, a woman plays the piano for Sarah Lozuke, at Our Lady’s Residence in Pleasantville.
Starting on Sunday, Aug. 10, 64 youth spent seven days building community with each other and the surrounding area as part of the annual Summer in the City program.
Sponsored by the Camden Diocesan Office of Youth Ministry, the week-long service experience helped youth gain an awareness of the cultural and economic realities around the Atlantic City area.
The youth, members of 15 parish youth ministries and six high schools across the Camden Diocese, spent their mornings and evenings at St. James Memorial Hall at Holy Trinity Parish in Ventnor, engaging in prayerful fellowship and hearing talks on such issues as homelessness and human trafficking in Atlantic City.
During the day, the youth spread themselves out to volunteer their time and service at various locations in Atlantic and Cape May counties: the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, to serve the poor and homeless at a soup kitchen, and sort donated clothes; Our Lady’s Multi-Care Center and Villa Raffaella, both in Pleasantville, to visit with senior citizens; the Community Food Bank of South Jersey, and the Food Bank at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Parish in Atlantic City; Catholic Charities; and Bruised Reed Farm in Goshen, where they harvested fruits and vegetables that will be used in the kitchen, or sold at markets to help the homeless.
They also visited with the homeless who shared their stories.
The 64 youth also experienced how to live on welfare, given $3 a day to spend at grocery stores.
On Aug. 18, participants assisted with the festivities for the Mass
of the Assumption and Wedding of the Sea at St. Michael’s Church
in Atlantic City and at Boardwalk Hall.
The week was one of “living simply, and not taking anything for granted,” said Greg Coogan, director of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Camden.
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“We broke boundaries during the week, and saw the face of Christ in both the people we worked with, and in the people that we served.”