If you happened to drive past Southridge Church last week, you may have witnessed an undertaking only possible through community-partnership and collaboration. The sanctuary was transformed as over 50,000 pounds of food and hundreds of volunteers descended on the church to help pack hampers for the people of Lytton. Among these community volunteers were two-hundred high school students from Langley Christian School (LCS).
For a day this place looked like a warehouse. It was amazing that just when we committed to serving this need I got a call from the high school asking if there were opportunities for students to come partner with us. Collaborating on these kinds of projects is powerful.
Paul Olson, pastor at southridge fellowship
Langley Christian School’s 2022 – 2023 school theme verse comes from Mark 12:29 – 31 which includes the call to “love your neighbor as yourself.” With just a grassy verge separating the school from Southridge Church, our High School House Directors, who encourage student life and well-being, decided to reach out to Southridge to see if there was the possibility of high school classes engaging in service learning and see how they could form a partnership.
As it happens, Southridge had just been asked to provide hampers to the city of Lytton, a community that was devastated by forest fires in the summer of 2021. With church donations, the food was purchased, and volunteers from LCS, Southridge, and Northwest Langley churches spent hours filling hampers. “That was really important to me to show that we can all really come together to help out because that’s what we’re called to do,” said volunteer Penny Werdal, a Grade 10 student.
That was really important to me to show that we can all really come together to help out because that’s what we’re called to do.
Penny Werdal, a Grade 10 student.
After two days of packing, 550 hampers were loaded into a 53-foot semi and transported to Lytton in time for families to enjoy together this Christmas. Part of the mission and vision of LCS is to equip students to engage meaningfully in service within the community. What an incredible way for our students to be involved!
