News

Area teens to help house Katrina survivors

By Renae Bauer
Communications Department

More than three dozen teens will help provide shelter for a family affected by Hurricane Katrina when they work on a Habitat for Humanity house June 19-23.

The building project - along with dozens of other volunteer opportunities - will be part of this year's Reality CHECK (Catholic Hands Exhibiting Christian Kindness).

The teens will paint a house in Oconto, wash windows and perform yard work in Green Bay, and stock the shelves at two local assistance agencies, St. Vincent de Paul Store and Paul's Pantry.

In its fifth year, Reality CHECK is for Catholic teens who want to experience their faith as a group through worship and volunteer opportunities, said Ellen Mommaerts, coordinator of religious education and youth ministry for St. Agnes Parish, Green Bay, the host site of Reality CHECK.

"Teenagers hunger for a chance to put their faith into action. They really want to 'own' their faith, and one of the most popular and effective ways is to work with their peers in serving others," Mommaerts said.

The Habitat home is expected to be the most visible sign of the teens' commitment to service. The house project, called "House in a Box," will be built in the St. Agnes Church parking lot.

The teens will be responsible for roughing out the house, which will be shipped south by Habitat, where it will be completed and turned over to a family. The number of helping hands will swell when about 20 youth from Columbus, Ohio, join Reality CHECK for part of the week. People are welcome to stop by to see how the house progresses through the week.

"Reality CHECK is one of the best local summer events for Catholic youth in the Diocese of Green Bay," Mommaerts said. "The kids get to live the Gospel call to serve others as Jesus not only instructed us to do but showed us by his own example."