062425...R YOUTH DAY 2...Warren...06-24-25...Elaina Albani, 14, of Howland, left, Lauren Brown, 17, of Cortland, center, and Graci Burden, 13, of Liberty, work together sanding a bench before staining it at Garfield Community Gardens as part of North-Mar Church Youth Day of Service...by R. Michael Semple

WARREN — Middle school students are spending three days this week showing what the word “serve” means by helping others in the community.

Starting Tuesday, 63 sixth to eighth-grade students have gone into the community to perform a variety of helpful tasks through the Serve program at North Mar Church, including moving a chicken coop.

Ricky Glenn, youth pastor at North Mar, said the church partnered this summer with Westgate Chapel in Toledo to offer the program.

There are youth from both churches participating, along with 25 volunteers.

“We want to make an impact,” Glenn said. “This is all for the glory of Jesus. We look at Jesus’ life. He came to serve and not be served. We share the love of Jesus through the projects we are doing.”

Among other projects, Serve participants worked in groups and helped with landscaping at Haven of Peace, a new counseling center next to North Mar Church.

Glenn said the program also partnered with Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership by going to different community gardens to weed and do other work. Glenn said TNP provided locations and contact names.

The youth helped at local food pantries, where painting and decorating have been done.

“We are also helping elderly members of our church with projects and keeping up with their properties. We have been cutting lawns and mulching and weeding,” Glenn said.

He said the church members reached out to him with the needs they may have.

This is the 17th year for the summer program.

Glenn said he hopes participants see the importance of serving.

“I tell the youth, ‘Why are we here, but to serve?”‘

He said society and culture today are very “self-focused,” where people think about what they can get out of something.

“I want them to leave this place thinking how they can help other people and share Jesus with them,” Glenn said.

Dan Russell, the youth pastor at Westgate Chapel, was previously a member of North Mar Church.

“Even after he accepted the position in Toledo,” Glenn said, “we wanted the two churches to continue the Serve program together.”

While the youth dealt with very hot weather this week, they planned to go to Kalahari Water Park in Sandusky today.

WHY SERVE?

Mason Bufano, 14, of Warren, who will be in ninth grade, said he joined the program feeling it would be a good experience for him, “knowing I was able to help at least one person in their life.”

He helped weed many plant beds, took down a chicken coop and did mulching at various locations.

Stephanie Connell, 14, of Warren, who also will be in ninth grade, said she likes being able to spend time with others and help them with their needs.

She spent the 90-degree day weeding and trimming outside.

“I am glad I was able to help others who may not have been able to do the work we did,” she said. “It felt good to help a lot of people.”