Colfax Rural Lutheran Parish youth group installs “Winter Care Unit” at Kyle’s Market
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COLD WEATHER CARE — Members of the Colfax Rural Lutheran Parish youth group, IMPACT!, set up a “Winter Care Unit” at Kyle’s Market in Colfax December 3. The unit is stocked with mittens, hats, socks, hand-warmers, children’s coats and quilts. The premise is, “If you need something, take it. If you have extra, leave it.” Pictured here are Janica Larson (seated), Sienna Plank (crouching); from left to right, Kenna Stenner, Wyatt Bjork and Kaysen Goodell. — Photo by LeAnn R. Ralph
By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — Perhaps it has come to your attention that the weather turned quite cold earlier than usual this year.
To help members of the community who need hats, mittens, hand-warmers, socks, children’s coats or blankets, the Colfax Rural Lutheran Parish youth group, IMPACT!, has installed a “Winter Care Unit” at Kyle’s Market in Colfax.
Colfax Rural Lutheran is made up of three churches: Holden, Norton and North Running Valley.
At the youth group’s first meeting in September, members decided to call the group IMPACT!
“The kids chose (the name), and we write it in all caps because it is our goal to make a big and bold impact on our community,” said Micaela Stenner, youth group leader.
The Winter Care Unit was placed at Kyle’s Market on Monday, December 3.
Members of the youth group who came to Kyle’s Market to help set up the Winter Care Unit were Kenna Stenner, Wyatt Bjork, Janica Larson, Sienna Plank and Kaysen Goodell.
All five said they had worked on building and painting the Winter Care Unit.
Micaela Stenner said she had seen a similar unit in Superior that a Girl Scout had made for a Girl Scout project.
“I saw it last year and thought it was a good idea. It’s something these kids can do,” Stenner said.
“The kids built it, and they painted it, and they got the donations (of hats, mittens, hand-warmers, socks, coats and blankets) for it,” she said.
STOCKING UP — Members of the Colfax Rural Lutheran Parish youth group, IMPACT!, loaded the Winter Care Unit they had set up at Kyle’s Market December 3. — Photo by LeAnn R. Ralph
Hats, mittens, children’s coats and blankets can all be gently-used, but youth group members ask that hand-warmers and socks be new.
When asked how long it took to build the Winter Care Unit, a chorus of voices answered, “Not that long.”
One young lady said she thought maybe it took them a half an hour to build the unit.
After the unit was built, then it had to be painted.
When asked if anyone could make use of the items, the reply from several youth group members was, “If you need it, take it. If you have extra, leave it.”
IMPACT! meets the last Wednesday of every month at North Running Valley Lutheran Church at 5 p.m.
To find North Running Valley, drive east out of Colfax on state Highway 40, and then turn left (north) onto county Highway A. Keep going on Highway A for about three and a half miles until you come to a church. The Colfax Rural Lutheran Parish’s North Running Valley church is the first church on the left. The other church up on the hill on the right is Faith Lutheran Running Valley
The Colfax Rural Lutheran Parish youth group is open to anyone in the community, fifth grade through twelfth grade.
“Any faith, it doesn’t matter. Any group, it doesn’t matter. Everybody is welcome, ” Micaela Stenner said.
The youth group is working on Christmas caroling next, she said.
“We will have some other fun projects, too. We will have a parents night out babysitting event for Valentine’s Day. These guys are going to babysit for parents to raise money for a local charity that they will decide on. And we’ve got other fun stuff coming up, too. We keep busy,” Micaela said.
The youth group also has a field trip scheduled next June to Action City.
In addition to Kenna Stenner, Wyatt Bjork, Janica Larson, Sienna Plank and Kaysen Goodell, other youth group members who worked on building the Winter Care Unit but were unable to be at Kyle’s Market on December 3 were Spencer Dierich, Aynsley Olson, McKenna McDew, Kendra Pickett, Austin Sundstrom and Mona Sundstrom.