More than 30 youth from Mennonite Church Eastern Canada congregations in the Niagara Region gathered at Grace Mennonite Church in St. Catharines on May 12, 2018, for the “Hunger Relief Games.” Using non-perishable food items, plus items for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) hygiene kits and two comforters, they played a series of five games.
The coffee house afterward, hosted by Doug Schulz, Grace’s associate pastor, included music by youth, and reflections from MCC Ontario’s Sheryl Bruggeling, and Erika Klassen from the Westview Christian Fellowship/Westview Centre4Women; Westview is an emerging MC Eastern Canada congregation. They spoke about the local and global dimensions of poverty and ways that youth can make a difference.
The event resulted in two knotted comforters and more than 100 hygiene kits for MCC, and more than 150 food items for the women’s shelter.
Karli Bijakowski, right, Karlie Haining, centre, and Jonathan Seiling display two completed comforters that were knotted for MCC during the Niagara Region Youth Hunger Relief Games on May 12. (Photo by Jonathan Seiling)
One of the games involved creating a structure that could bear the weight of cans of food. (Photo by Jonathan Seiling)
Karli Bijakowski, right, and Karlie Haining attempt to knot comforters for MCC while blindfolded and wearing gardening gloves during the Niagara Region Youth Hunger Games. (Photo by Jonathan Seiling)
Nick Schuurman, left, associate pastor of St. Catharines United Mennonite Church, counts the number of cans in the tower contest while competitors look on. (Photo by Jonathan Seiling)
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