Teens wield saws, hammers to help needy over Memorial Day weekend

Clunky steel-toed boots, jeans, sawdust sticking to sweat.

Not what most teens would envision their Memorial Day holiday look would be.

But for the past nine years, teens have spent their Memorial Day Saturday doing construction work for the poor.

Memorial Day is known as Labor Day for the St. Marcelline Youth Ministry's Appalachian Service Project team. The group will travel to Appalachia in July to help make homes warmer, safer and drier for people among the poorest in the United States.

This is the 10th year St. Marcelline is sending a group, and it will be among its largest - 33 teens and 14 adults - going to Claiborne County, Tenn.

On Saturday, the group built 21 sets of six wood panels which will be used for wheelchair ramps in Logan County, W.V. The Logan County Family Resource Network, a health and education agency, has homes lined up that need ramps for disabled residents.

For the second year, St. Marcelline will be sending its panels there. Schneider National, a transportation firm based in Green Bay, Wis., will truck the panels to West Virginia this week for free. In the past, ASP had a warehouse for groups to send wall and wheelchair panels and such, but with a drop in donations around the time of Hurricane Katrina, the warehouse closed.

For the teens and those West Virginia families in need, "it's a win-win situation," said Howard Grossman, St. Marcelline youth minister.

That is because Saturday's work is among the many steps the St. Marcelline ASP group does to prepare for its July trip. Grossman said Labor Day serves several purposes: While teens are learning some construction skills, the adult volunteers are learning how to communicate to their group of four or five teens.

And, the day's work reminds the group about being good stewards - not wasting material. Grossman said they bought exactly what they needed, no extra, so groups need to "measure twice, cut once."

And of course, they will know that the panels will be put to good use.

"We want them to understand there is a need down there, and we want them to be good stewards," he said.

That message does resonate.

Schaumburg High School senior Mike Ciupka is in his fourth year with the ASP group.

"You take a lot for granted. And although you are hot and all sweaty, you continue because you know what you're working for," the 17-year-old said.

Ciupka takes the lessons he has learned outside of church. He earned his Boy Scout Eagle recognition last week, and for his Eagle project, he organized a drive to collect and distribute blankets and warm clothing to the homeless who live on Lower Wacker Drive in Chicago.

Another teen, 16-year-old Conant sophomore Monica Tanski, said she joined because after earning her volunteer hours for Confirmation, she wanted to continue helping people.

I've always loved to help people," she said. "We had service hours to go to the soup kitchen. When I was finished, I wanted to do more."