Windsor is a small town of about 2,900 people. And just like any other small town, word gets around fast. Soon enough everyone around knew that the First United Methodist Church’s (1UMC) youth group would be flying in to save the day of their little town. What was meant to be another rebuilding trip, turned out to have one of the biggest impacts on the community and also junior Catherine House.
Catherine worked with her youth group for a week rebuilding a local, old run down church. Even if people weren’t directly being helped, they were still so appreciative of the youth group. Seeing everyone on the community come together over a rebuild of a church has stuck with Catherine as a reminder of how big of an impact her volunteer works can do. Catherine’s mother, Mardi House admires her daughter for being a hero to all of those she helps.
“When she goes on the trips, she doesn’t expect to be praised and for it to be easy,” Mardi said. “She goes in to get the job done.”
Catherine’s trip to Windsor was one of the many she has taken since joining the youth group. Catherine has attended 1UMC her whole life and has been in their youth group since she was in sixth grade. Catherine’s entire family are avid members in the church; Mardi, is a current volunteer with the group and has even participated in a few mission trips, including one to Kansas City with Catherine. Catherine’s brother, Benjamin also participated in youth group.
“My brother was in [youth group] two years before me and he always talked about all the fun he had,” Catherine said. “By the time I was old enough, I really wanted to join.”
The church’s youth group, headed by Gary Goodrich, includes kids attending the church grades six through 12. All youth group members are eligible for in-state mission trips; however, out of state trips are only for high schoolers. The trips vary from serving homeless shelters in St. Louis to week long trips around the country rebuilding homes or churches. For example Catherine and her youth group went to West Virginia last summer.
“My biggest role in preparing for trips is logistics– making sure we have the supplies we need and everyone is ready to go,” Gary said. “And most importantly making sure students know why they’re doing this.”
Serve 2012 was one of Catherine’s most recent volunteer works she participated in. Her church spent a whole Saturday together and broke up into groups and chose different activities to work on for others. Catherine chose to be in a group that sewed together dresses that would be shipped over to little girls in Africa. Her group as a whole made 40 dresses to send.
“I loved helping in Serve 2012 because although I’ll never see the girls that those dresses went to, I know that somebody was overjoyed when they saw their new dresses waiting for them,” Catherine said.
From the moment Gary first read over Catherine’s student leadership application, she stood out to him. According to Gary, Catherine’s maturity level allows her to bring an incredibly strong voice to the group. And even though Catherine is extremely involved with school and extracurricular activities, she always manages to make her biggest commitment the church.
“[Catherine] is probably one of the kindest people and one of the strongest leaders in my group,” Gary said. “She has one of the biggest influences on the middle and high school girls. She’ll talk to anyone.”
Over the summer the high school youth group will be taking a week long trip to Chicago, Illinois to do inner-city work. For summer trips the group never knows what their assignment will be until they get there. Although, according to Catherine, summer trips usually follow along the lines of painting, rebuilding and life instruction for everyone.
“Sometimes you visit people and they’re so hopeless and don’t know what to think anymore,” Catherine said. “I just want to show them that there is still hope.”
