High schoolers in Texas are spending their summer providing free home maintenance for people who can’t take care of their repairs themselves. The teens are part of a program called UM ARMY, which stands for “United Methodist Action Reach-Out Mission by Youth.”
“It’s important to me to help people and make sure that their lives are good and they’re being able to do stuff,” Makenzee MacComb told KETK News. MacComb is a junior in high school, and her group has been in East Texas for the past few weeks. They have most recently served in Kilgore and Longview and are going to Henderson next.
Team leader Sydney Reagan told KETK that some of the projects they’ve completed include building a wheelchair ramp and installing a handicapped accessible shower. Not only does the group get to meet the needs of the people they’re serving, but, says Reagan, “We get to meet them and talk with them, and it’s just a relational and a service kind of thing.”
UM ARMY Background
UM ARMY has existed since 1979 and serves those who cannot help themselves, such as the elderly, disabled, and those with financial limitations. The website says the organization’s purpose is “To provide Christ-centered missions that serve people in need and promote spiritual growth and leadership development in youth and young adults.” The ministry has multiple mission programs, with around 5,000 people working on 2,000 projects annually. Besides Texas, right now UM ARMY primarily operates in the Northeast and Southeast regions of the country. Students pay fees to participate, which is how they are able to serve communities for free. For example, the cost to join a week-long Florida mission this past June was $295.
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Source: Church Leaders
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