Cadillac Church youth gather to discuss plans for ministering to their community | Photo courtesy Cadillac Church

December 3, 2020

Local Youth Group to Distribute Christmas Presents to Local Families

CADILLAC, MICH., December 2, 2020 - - The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has hit the local community hard financially, and that means that some families may not be able to afford the typical Christmas fanfare. However, one Cadillac youth group is trying to help remedy that.

“Youth of His Message”, a Christian adolescent youth group sponsored by the Cadillac Seventh- day Adventist Church will be providing presents for 6 families in the Wexford, Missaukee, and Osceola counties, as well as gifts for several shut-ins and senior citizens. The families are selected after discussion with community assistance groups such as Habitat For Humanity and 10th District Health Department, and then the families send Youth Of His Message a Christmas wish list. Then, the teens, with an overall budget of over $4,000 and $150 per-person, will purchase the presents, wrap them, and then deliver them to the several families.

Member of Youth of His Message last year |Photo courtesy Cadillac Seventh-day Adventist Church
Member of Youth of His Message last year |Photo courtesy Cadillac Seventh-day Adventist Church

This is Youth of His Message’s third year of community assistance during the holiday season. In 2018, they assisted four families spread throughout the Missaukee-Wexford region, and last year they assisted 5 families and 5 senior citizens and shut-ins. Since the group’s inception in late 2017, they have assisted various organizations and families with service projects through their “His Helping Hand” endeavor. They have also participated in community service initiatives in Lansing, Battle Creek, and Detroit, and started a Wednesday evening program called “YOHM Jr.” for children ages 8-12.

“Habitat for Humanity and Youth of His Message are excited to partner in serving local families and their Christmas needs,” says Craig LaFave, board member of Habitat for Humanity and co- sponsor of Youth Of His Message. “We feel this is a perfect way to show Christ’s example during very uncertain times. Habitat’s goal of helping families is perfectly aligned with this group of young people who simply just want to help others. We are thrilled to participate in the program.”

Katie Shaffer, Youth of His Message spokesperson says, “We as Christians are called to help others.” She says that knowing that these families will be having a better holiday season then what they otherwise would have had is a true blessing. “We are called to be a light in the darkness and show God’s love to everyone,” she emphasized.

“I grew up with a single mom and I know it was always a struggle for her to provide us with a nice Christmas,” Andy Shaffer, another co-sponsor of Youth of His Message described. “We can meet that need for other struggling parents and alleviate that stress.” Shaffer also emphasized

that this will help people have a better first time experience with Christians.

Youth of His Message will be delivering the presents around the holiday season. For more information on Youth of His Message and any other associated ministries, please visit youthofhismessage.org or cadillacsda.org.

 

Samuel Girven, under the direction of Tom Mejeur.