Over 30 high school students representing the Youth Group from St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Encinitas participated in this year’s 30-Hour Famine, an international movement promoting awareness of those suffering from hunger and poverty. Part of the experience included volunteering at a program site serving those in need. Arriving at ECS’ Julian’s Hope, one of three residential sites for women and their children recovering from domestic violence, the enthusiastic group immediately went to work. 
While some teens worked in the interior courtyard to pull weeds and plant flowering bulbs, another group assembled a dining table for an incoming family. The outside garden and exterior courtyard were cleaned of debris and hedges were trimmed. Windows were washed, the laundry room was mopped and in-kind donations were organized. Within a few hours, Julian’s Hope looked refreshed and inviting. The group, even though a little tired from their hard work, was pleased with the results. “We helped a lot in just a little bit of time,” explained one teen. “We just wanted the moms who live here to be more comfortable and have a nice-looking home.”
If your youth group or organization would like to volunteer at an ECS program site, please call Alyssa Osian at (619) 228-2800 or email aosian@ecscalifornia.org.
Above: Volunteers garden at Julian's Hope
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