Pastor Phil Harrington has been impressed, and inspired, by the actions of some outstanding young people in the past year.
“I’ve been noticing in our church, but also in the broader community, youth taking some initiative to make the world better,” he said—from those who spoke out against human trafficking, to the students who worked with the Snoqualmie Valley School District to take a stand against bullying.
In their honor, Harrington is creating the Bold Youth Initiative Fund, a community-administered program to recognize and assist similar youth-led projects.
“I felt there out to be some way to support those groups,” said Harrington.
The Bold Youth Initiative Fund will provide some of that support, he hopes, once it’s been established. Harrington plans to ask a variety of community leaders who work with teens, such as the Snoqualmie Valley Community Network, to serve on the fund’s board. “I don’t want it to be just an in-church thing,” he said.
Board members will administer funds to deserving projects that apply for grants or are nominated by community members for grant funding. They will also have some discretionary authority to reward projects that they discover themselves, Harrington explained.
“I intend to notice things going on, and find ways to help them out,” he added.
Since the fund will be taking a close look at what’s going on with youth in the community, it’s appropriate that the first fund-raiser in support of the Bold Youth Initiative Fund is on Santa Lucia Day, Monday, Dec. 13. Santa Lucia, or Saint Lucy, is associated with eyesight, and with light.
Her story also makes her “a good unofficial patron saint of bold youth,” says Harrington.
Lucia was a young Christian girl in Sicily who was martyred for her Christianity. The legends differ on the details, but Lucia’s stubborn persistence in her faith is a common thread of each story. In one version, Lucia begins ministering to the poor and giving away her dowry after her mother is cured at the shrine of St. Agatha, and refuses to stop despite her betrothed husband’s protests, so he has her executed. In another version, Lucia was so filled with the Holy Spirit that she could not be moved from a spot even being pulled by a team of oxen.
The festival of Santa Lucia starts with a girl wearing a candlelit wreath, bringing her family breakfast. The fund-raiser will be a candlelight breakfast, with music and a brief presentation on the fund, starting at 6:30 a.m. at the Snoqualmie United Methodist Church, 38701 SE River Street, Snoqualmie. Tickets are $12 per person, and Harrington hopes to raise $1,000 with this event.
Seating is limited, so reservations are required. Call 888-1697 to make your reservations by noon Friday, Dec. 10.
