An energetic summer

Energy. Lots of energy. Kids have it, and those who work with kids need it.

Lynetta Hall and Thomas McDowell, two participants in Mennonite Central Committee’s (MCC) Summer Service program, embody the energy and enthusiasm it takes to work with young children. Summer Service enables young people of diverse ethnic backgrounds to work with a church or service agency in their home communities for 10 weeks during the summer.

Both Summer Service workers served at the Community Mennonite Early Learning Center (CMELC) in Markham, Ill. CMELC is a daycare program founded by Markham’s Community Mennonite Church in 1964 when it was discovered that many preschool children were home alone while their parents went to work. The center now serves 210 children from 6 weeks to 6 years of age.

McDowell, a junior physical education major at Goshen College, worked as one of the teachers in the kindergarten classroom.

In order to help prepare the children for school, every morning McDowell’s class recited the day of the week, month, date and year. They talked about the weather and the season and had a list of spelling words they got tested on each week.

“I really wanted to be involved in the kids’ program,” said McDowell, who has been attending Community Mennonite Church since he was 8 years old. “I think about where these kids would be otherwise. They’d be at home by themselves or doing something else not constructive.”

His enthusiasm for working with the children was evident as he patiently tried to teach them to play soccer. “Don’t use your hands. Pass the ball. Don’t cross the street. Kick it. Good job!” The smile remained, even as the children struggled to follow his directions. Hall helped with the summer day camp, which offered activities for older children, ages 6 to 12. “I love it. I really love it,” said Hall, who has been attending Community Mennonite Church since 1993.

She started helping out at CMELC in December of 2005 and enjoyed it, so when summer applications were being received, Hall jumped at the chance. “I think I was one of the first to have my application turned in,” said Hall, who will be attending South Suburban College in the fall to study paralegal and biology.

Watching her interact with the group, it was clear that Hall took on a mentor role with the children in the summer camp. “I would not want to do anything else but summer camps. I love working with the older kids. It feels good for them to come to me and tell me stuff. They ask me, ‘What should I do Ms. Lynetta?’ I tell them what to do, what not to do. Then they come back to me and say they did what I told them to and it worked out. I just love them.”

Both Hall and McDowell agreed that some days the children can wear them out, but that doesn’t curb their enthusiasm for their service.

According to Bonnie Neufeld, a pastor at Community Mennonite Church, each year when their church receives the Summer Service invitation letter in the mail, the elders meet together to decide whether anyone within their congregation would be a good fit.

This year, Neufeld has seen the program’s positive effects on the two young people from her congregation. “For both of them it’s been a wonderful broadening experience.” she said. The orientation at the beginning of the program allowed them to meet with young adults from all over the country, and the hands-on experience will be valuable as they go out into the workplace.

“It’s a wonderful gift from MCC to be giving young people the chance to take ownership in the broader church,” said Neufeld.

Hall and McDowell are two of ten Summer Service Workers from the MCC Great Lakes region. Temperance Berry and Vincent Berry II served at Community Christian Fellowship in Detroit, Mich., Frank Johnson and Nicole Ward served at Lee Heights Community Church in Cleveland, Ohio., Jheny Nieto served at Florence Church of the Brethren/Mennonite in Constantine, Mich., Geneva Redmond served at Living Water Community Church in Chicago, Ill., Sara Padilla served at Center for Healing and Hope in Goshen, Ind., and Yoana Ramirez served at True Vine Tabernacle in Elkhart, Ind.