Lexington, KY - Since 2008, a group of teenagers has been meeting on Nancy and Charlie Boland's Clays Mill Road pool deck on Tuesday mornings during the summer. Dubbed the "Tuesday Teens," the pack is a grassroots, community service group. Based in the Stonewall neighborhood area, the group supplies free labor for neighbors who need help with any sort of home outdoor project. Since the group started, they have clocked over 500 hours of service, mostly geared toward the elderly, single parents, widows and other neighbors who might need some extra help. Though the group is not affiliated with any specific church, it is rooted in Christian principles.
Nancy and her daughters, Andra, 17, and Maggie, 15, who have participated in the program since its inception, told us a little more about the program.
What does a typical Tuesday during the summer look like at the Boland household?
Nancy: We meet on the pool deck at 9:30 a.m. and gather supplies, tools, for the day's service project.
We choose teen team leaders for the three or four work teams and assign tasks to be done.
Then we load up and go do our work.
After working and thanking the homeowner for allowing us to serve, we come back to the pool deck for lunch and fun team-building activities. We swim, play mud tug of war, volleyball. By 3 p.m., everyone heads home.
At the end of the summer, each teen volunteer receives a certificate of volunteer hours and we have a big celebration party.
How do you identify who needs help?
Nancy: We find people to help by word of mouth from people we have served, or by approaching people we know, such as elderly adults, single moms or others in need
What are some examples of the projects that the group has completed over the years?
Nancy: We primarily do outdoor work, such as landscaping, mulching, weeding, building walkways and clotheslines, painting decks, and planting flowers.
Once we got to demolish an old wooden swingset!
In addition, we have tilled and laid sod, and cut down a small tree.
We also meet two or three times during the school year, just to touch base. During these off-season get-togethers we have made blankets for the Salvation Army, and visited friends in nursing homes.
How do you feel the experience has affected you? What have been some of the highlights of the experience?
Andra:
It has made me more aware of the needs of others.
I've begun to notice things where I can make a difference. I have strengthened friendships and found that it is very rewarding to serve others.
And that I can have fun while doing all of that!
The highlight is seeing the people's faces when we show them what we have done, knowing how much they appreciate our help. The lyrics "they will know we are Christians by our love" come to mind.
Maggie:
I love to see the reactions of the people after we serve them. It gives me a different perspective of people's needs. Serving with a group of teenagers makes working a lot fun.
More importantly, it brings glory to God.
How can somebody get involved with the Tuesday Teen program?
Nancy: Our teens are 13 or older, with an honorary 86-year-old member.
Anyone is welcome.
Due to transportation issues and adult volunteers, we can only host up to 20 teenagers, though. I would really encourage other neighborhoods and churches to create similar groups. It's a win-win for all involved.
People who need help or who can identify neighbors who might benefit from the Tuesday Teens can contact me at (859) 296-5605 or e-mail nancyejb@insightbb.com.