Kitsap County volunteers make a difference in The Big Day of Serving in Enumclaw | Slideshow

The Big Day of Serving made a big splash in Enumclaw Saturday with the help of many volunteers from Kitsap County.

On the first day of rain in many days in western Washington, a Christian-based event brought youth groups from across the state to Enumclaw to provide ser vice to the community.

Mike Siegemund, a youth pastor from Abundant Life Foursquare Church in Bremerton, said the Big Day was a “tremendous experience. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world…. We have really been helping people get healthy and looking to energize our community. We want to get Jesus out and serving the community and not keep him to ourselves.”

Mitchell Dubeau, a junior from Bremerton and member of the Foursquare Church said,

“It is a great way to show who Christ really was serving.”

The Big Day was organized by Enumclaw resident Brook Hickle, along with 10 other local women. The women reached out to youth groups around the state, which is how the Foursquare youth group found out about the event.

The event began at 7 a.m. at the J.J. Smith gymnasium with teens and youth leaders gathering for prayer, a song and to hear the message of the day.

Only nine communities throughout the United States, and just two in the western United States, participated in this year’s Big Day, founded by the organization Group Mission Trips.

Groups of youth leaders and teens gathered from Moses Lake, Shelton and Kent.

Angela Vaughn, a youth leader with East Hill Friends Church in Kent said, “The youth in our group suggested doing this. I am really proud of them.”

Valerie Hawthorne, a youth member of East Friends, said the day was a special event for her and the other youth members of the church.

“We get to help people and spend time talking with our friends,” Hawthorne said. “It’s been a joy and I’ve never raked before.”

She was raking up leaves at J.J. Smith.

At about noon, Hickle said, “The day has already turned out to be much more than I expected. My initial idea was to bring youth groups to serve and for them to go back and serve their communities. But I found out there is so much need in Enumclaw and so much is being done.”

Hickle said there were four primary projects: painting the senior center, making senior resource kits, neighbors in need projects and providing upgrades to the J.J. Smith campus.

“We are are trying to show each other we care and we are coming together to help each other,” volunteer Michelle Pritchow said. “I love the message we are giving the young people and I love seeing God work in so many ways.”

Contact Bremerton Patriot Editor Dennis Box at editor@bremertonpatriot.com or 1-360-308-9161 (ext 5050).

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