Youths help Mother Seton Center

(7/15) Six Frederick County youths spent hours July 10 assisting with various projects to enhance the Seton Center grounds and thrift shop.

The students volunteered their time in conjunction with a program managed by the United Way of Frederick County.

The six young volunteers participating included Andrew Daddone, Jake Freas, Sean Gribben, Hayley Seger, Becca Mann, and Daija Bettis.

According to Brian Duchon, community impact director for the county United Way, the organization conducts the voluntary-participation program "to encourage volunteerism" among the county youth.

"This is great way to engage youth who have off during the summer," he said.

Lauren Haines, United Way counselor, said the six youngsters performed a number of duties while at the Seton Center, 16840 South Seton Avenue, including "painting an office, outside doors, the center’s sign, and painted shelving in the center’s thrift shop and helped with arranging items for sale."

The volunteers worked from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on various projects at the Seton Center.

Denise Sauvageau, Seton Center thrift shop manager, said the volunteers also planted produce items in the center’s "community garden" located adjacent to the thrift shop. Harvested produce goes to the Seton Center’s food pantry.

Duchon said the county chapter of the United Way has 13 county youths participating in the program at the present time.

United Way took the program over during the summer of last year when the program was discontinued by Hands-on Frederick (formerly known as Volunteer Frederick) when Hands-on ceased to exist.

Duchon said the volunteers are made available to county health and human services-related non-profits. He said 40 of those entities were approached about using the volunteers youth group and that "those who showed an interest were scheduled to receive volunteers for a day."

The community impact director said the United Way program "hopes to inspire them (the youth) to continuing to volunteer into their adult years."

The Seton Center provides "low income families to meet their needs by offering supportive human services." The center is staffed by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, local residents and volunteers.