Pocono News Section

Missionaries Lend Helping Hand in Milton

Missionaries Lend Helping Hand in Milton - Wednesday, July 30, 2008 at 5:57PM EST

Reported by: Jeremy Deebel
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2008 @ 05:57pm EST
Milton, Northumberland County-

It's "charity helping charity" in one part of Central Pennsylvania this week.

Volunteers from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Glenville, New York, are lending a helping hand all around Milton. Kelly de la Rocha, a volunteer from Good Shepherd, said, "I want to teach my kids that if you have, you should give back, and it's just such a wonderful feeling to be able to do that."

As rising prices everywhere are forcing many to do less, these missionaries are striving to do more. "I feel like we can't afford not to. I honestly feel like we get more benefit from doing this than we're giving to the others. It's such a beneficial experience and if we have the ability to help, we should," de la Rocha added.

The eighteen volunteers are spending the week here, helping out wherever they can, and sleeping wherever they can find a spot. Doug Diven, of the Hand Up Foundation explained, "They're not getting paid, it's hot, and they’re sleeping on church pews, some of them on the floor. And they're doing it out of the goodness of their heart. That's really faith in action."

Much of the volunteers' work is benefiting the Hand Up Foundation, a non-profit charitable group in Northumberland County that operates a recycling center, thrift store and food bank. They also offer counseling and other services.

Christ Lutheran Church in Milton is hosting the missionaries for the week. Pastor Pat Pittsnogle noted, "That's the way God works. God sends people where they need to be, and when somebody needs something, God sends them there."

After three days of hard work, the missionaries have a fun day scheduled for Thursday before heading back home to New York.