Members of the First Presbyterian Church of Shakopee, MN come to service in Baltimore

During the week of July 30^th, the Ecumenical Volunteer Service Network (EVSN) and Hunting Ridge Presbyterian Church hosted a youth mission team from the First Presbyterian Church of Shakopee, MN. The group, consisting of ten youth ranging in age from 12 to eighteen years of age and three adult leaders, donated over 450 hours of service to communities in Baltimore and Washington, DC.

The mission team from First Presbyterian Church, Shakopee, MN
after working hard in 97-degree heat.

These volunteers started the week by working along the Gwynns Falls Trail that runs from Leakin Park to the Inner Harbor. On Monday, July 31^st, they spent the morning cleaning up Solo Gibbs Park in the historic African American community of Sharp-Leadenhall. That afternoon, in 97-degree heat, they removed trash from a former homeless encampment near a stretch of the Gwynns Falls Trail that runs parallel to Warner Street in the downtown industrial area.

On Tuesday, August 1st, and Thursday, August 3rd, the mission team participated in the food supply chain that helps combat hunger in the United States. First, they packed food at the Maryland Food Bank for shipment to providers throughout the state. Then, on Thursday, they worked at the Moveable Feast bagging food received from the Maryland Food Bank and other commercial distributors and delivering it to Baltimore City residents with HIV/AIDS.

On Wednesday, August 2nd, the missionaries from Shakopee took the MARC train to DC where they interacted with a homeless panel at the National Coalition for the Homeless. In the afternoon, they volunteered at the Community for Creative Non-violence, the largest shelter of its kind in the United States accommodating 1,350 homeless men and women.

During the week, the Shakopee mission team experienced God’s presence in our communities while witnessing the power of service and conversation to inspire and give hope. We were blessed to have such faithful and hardworking servants choose to come and share their faith through word and action in our communities.