Tyrone youth travel to Baltimore to help a city in need

A group of Tyrone middle school students gave up a week of their summer to help make a difference in inner city Baltimore

Eliyah Craig, Blaise Kilmartin, Tommie Murray, Mia Kosoglow, Jim Kilmartin, Maqqel Kosoglow, Lexi Kilmartin and Alexis Umholtz

Encountering homeless people on the street corner and seeing entire communities struggling with poverty and crime is not common here in central Pennsylvania, but for a group of six Tyrone middle school students, that type of reality became the focus and challenge of a week their summer.

‘’I saw people out in the streets begging for money, people sleeping on sidewalks and benches, but I also saw a large group of people who want to help a poor community,’’ said Tyrone middle school student Blaise Kilmartin.

I love seeing the teens impacted by serving a community in need, connecting with youth from other cultures and building their faith in Jesus

— Group Leader Jim Kilmartin

For the past decade, a group of youth led by Jim Kilmartin of Joshua House in Tyrone have been giving up a week of their summer for a mission trip to Baltimore, Maryland.  The “Compassion Commission” as it is called is a partnership with the Rock City Church in Rockville, MD.  From there they go to various places in and around Baltimore to help those in need.

The Rock City Church is affiliated with Keystone Church and Ministries in State College, which is also connected with the Joshua House here in Tyrone.

For Kilmartin, the annual trip is both an opportunity to help those less fortunate and a opportunity to the grow the faith of the youth of his ministry.

“I love seeing the teens impacted by serving a community in need, connecting with youth from other cultures and building their faith in Jesus,’’ said Kilmartin.

During the week, the teens are assigned to different organizations or projects around the city.

One popular job is assisting in the refurbishing of a dilapidated house that the group gives away at the end of the week.  On the house project, youth get do things like hang drywall, lay carpet, paint walls, and other remodeling jobs, all to make a home livable for a family trying to get back on their financial feet.

If they don’t make it on the house building team there are still many opportunities for youth to impact the community. Some teams planted gardens, picked up garbage, served in soup kitchens, or visited shelters all around the city.

Eliya Craig, also a Tyrone 8th grader was assigned to a shelter for underprivileged moms trying to better their life for themselves and their children.  According to Craig, one cool experience she had was going to the hospital to meet a newborn belonging to one of the moms she met that week.

Eliyah hard at work!
Eliyah hard at work!

Once their work day is done the teens go back to their host homes and get ready for evening services. Worship services are held each night of the week while the teens are there.  At services the youth are able to reflect on the days experience and connect it to their faith.

All of the girls who went would agree that the services are very powerful.

‘’While I was there, I was very touched by God and my closest friends are I prayed for each other’’ said Craig.

At the end of the week the group gives away the renovated home and hosts a neighborhood block party.  During the party, people of the community can come join the fun while receiving free items such as food and clothing. They also have an ending service and use that ceremony as a way to reach out and pray for the community.

The group of Tyrone youth who attended this year was Lexi Kilmartin, Blaise Kilmartin, Maqquel Kosoglow, Mia Kosoglow, Eliyah Criag, and Alexis Umholtz.