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Courtesy Photo
Four Brook Hill United Methodist Church youths dig drainage ditches for a home in June during a service mission trip to Winfield, Tenn.
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Before their mission trip to Tennessee, several youth members of the Brook Hill United Methodist Church in Yellow Springs had never hammered a nail or dug a foundation.After a week, the 12 adults, four young adults and 26 youth volunteers are construction veterans. During the last week of June, the group went to Winfield, Tenn., as a part of the Appalachia Service Project, which helps repair homes for poor families. "It really brought home how fortunate we are in Frederick ," said Beth Williams, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries at the church. The group dug drainage ditches, repaired roofs, built porches and additions, and installed steps, siding and insulation. "They learned they can make a difference," Williams said. "There were a lot of positives that came out of it." The trip cost each member $550, so the church held a fundraiser by placing a flock of plastic flamingos in an unsuspecting church member's yard. Members could pay a small donation and the flamingos were removed immediately. If not, they stayed in the yard for 48 hours and were moved to another member's property. Twenty-nine of the 50 flamingos were stolen just as the fundraiser started in early April. While some were returned, five others were stolen during the fundraiser. The church never recovered 17. Williams said the fundraiser yielded about $3,000. This is the eighth year the church has participated in the project. This year's group features teens who attend Catoctin, Tuscarora, Gov. Thomas Johnson, Frederick , Walkersville and Boonsboro high schools. While the youth group was able to take away positives from the trip, there was one tragedy. A house next door to one the group was working on caught fire. While the family escaped, the father was burned and all of their money and possessions burned up in the house. "It was a tough day," Williams said. Several of the adult group members helped pull items from the rubble and remove some tin. The group also gave the family a gift card to Wal-Mart and is collecting money to send them.
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