Youth give back to community

Service to the community is a theme of Martin Luther King Day observances, and two local mentorship programs hit the ideal of giving back from a variety of angles on Monday.

Circle of Friends and Heart of Oregon YouthBuild worked together on the MLK holiday on Monday, January 16 to build and donate birdhouses for the Seed to Table program and Harmony Farm Sanctuary. Sisters Eagle Airport donated the use of hangar five at the airport for the work party.

Teens from the Heart of Oregon program worked one-on-one with younger children who are part of the Circle of Friends mentorship program in constructing dozens of birdhouses. The teens are learning and applying construction skills in the YouthBuild program, and the birdhouse project allowed them to pass on some basic skills to younger kids.

"It's pretty fun to watch them work with the younger kids, "said Heart of Oregon coordinator Chelsea Anttila. "It gives them the opportunity to teach someone younger than them."

The youngsters were responsive. Nine-year-old Jayden was churning out his third birdhouse when he paused for a moment to talk with The Nugget. He explained that he has lots of experience in construction.

"I go in the summer with my dad and help him remodel houses," he said.

Kay Johnson has mentored Alexis in Circle of Friends for the past four years. She watched smiling as she pounded in nails under the watchful instruction of Karly Bell.

"Isn't this fun?" Johnson said. "It's a great partnership between the organizations."

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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