St. Peter Bible School brings new meaning to 'shipwrecked'
Although summer vacation has just begun, students of St. Peter Tri-Parish School were hard at work this Monday providing aid to a worthy cause.
The St. Peter Vacation Bible School program, led by Margaret Andreozzi, has devoted its efforts this year to raising funds for Westbay Marketplace. As the third largest food pantry in Rhode Island, Westbay strives to provide disadvantaged citizens with affordable and nutritious dietary choices. Fortunately, the Community Action program can rely on the campers and faculty participating in St. Peter Vacation Bible School, who will spend the week raising money for their cause.
The Vacation Bible Study program encourages members to have fun, make new friends, and learn about their faith, while contributing to important causes. The theme for this year’s camp, “Shipwreck,” aims to teach that Jesus is always there in times of loneliness, struggle, worry, and “shipwreck.” There are approximately 80 campers this year, enrolled in grades kindergarten through four, as well as 12 preschoolers. Fifty counselors, most of who are former members of the program themselves, lead campers through activities that relate to their faith. New to the Vacation Bible School is a pilot program that includes to autistic children in the activities. Andreozzi hopes the Parish will expand the program further in future years.
The Christian education company Group Publishing provides the curriculum and materials for the program. Campers are placed into small groups known as “crews”, and are guided through stations set up within the school that teach lessons and structured play. In the upstairs section of the school, children dress up to act out parables that are relevant to the theme. The stories of the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost son all tie back into the camp’s theme of being found by Jesus. Meanwhile, at the “cinema room” station downstairs, campers watch videos that feature animated characters learning life lessons and dealing with issues such as forgiveness and illness. Outdoors, children participate in games of tug-of-war and cooperate to keep an inflatable ball in the air as long as possible. The Imagination Station located indoors lets children undertake simple science experiments and work together to make new discoveries.
The counselors and adult leaders who assist in the program are all volunteers. Georgia Testa, who has been involved with the program since fourth grade, returned several times to serve as a counselor. This year, as a high school graduate, she is able to assist in running the activities herself. Meanwhile, younger counselors also get involved with their assigned campers. Joseph Weidele, a returning ninth grader, sees counseling as a way to continue the fun he had as a participant since kindergarten. Alex Ferolito, another upcoming ninth grader, enjoys helping with the Imagination Station. The ongoing service provided by volunteers is what has allowed the Vacation Bible School to achieve its success.
The Westbay Farm, located on Barton Farm, provides the produce, which last year consisted of 15,000 pounds of organic vegetables.
The Westbay Community Action program is also educating the campers on proper nutrition, with plans to show an educational film on healthy diet habits. An upcoming activity also plans to have children taste the difference between canned carrots and fresh carrots. The most anticipated activity, however, is the seed planting. Children will have the opportunity to plant their own vegetables with provided seeds; they will keep half of the seeds, while the rest will be donated to the farm. By educating campers on the importance of nutrition, the need to support the pantry is clear.
As for raising money for the Westbay Marketplace, members of the church community have been steadfast with their donations. Parents and parishioners alike have contributed to the cause, taking heed of the advertisements on the church bulletin. A game has also been made out of counting coins the children bring in, all of which are donated to the fund. On Friday, the St. Peter Vacation Bible School program will present a check to representatives from Westbay Community Action, which will go towards continuing to fund their pantry’s extensive offerings of healthy food. As the eleventh year of the St. Peter’s Vacation Bible School continues, so will the efforts of all its members to once again provide the best support they can to their chosen cause.
