The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

The JUMP Youth Group has been busy performing odd jobs to raise funds for their summer mission trips. From June 25 through July 2, approximately twenty youth and their adult chaperones will travel to worksites near Lakeside and Missoula, Montana.

JUMP, which stands for Jesus Uses Motivated People, is a faith based non-denominational youth group open to all youth in grades 7-12. The group had hopes of making Hawaii their destination for mission work this summer since they had to cancel their commitment with Project Hawai'i Incorporated last year. However, with travel restrictions still in place, they had to postpone once again. With hopes of breaking the cycle of poverty, Project Hawai'i provides assistance to the island's keiki (Hawaiian for children).

As an alternative, the group will begin their mission at Flathead Lake Bible Camp where they will perform maintenance work for summer campers. From there, they will travel to the Missoula area. By painting and doing yard work, the youth will facilitate in the renovation of a "ranch" property that is operated by the Lifeguard Group. The purpose of the property will be to provide a haven for victims of sex and human trafficking.

According to Chrissy Downs, one of the team's leaders, at the "ranch" the youth will learn about the exploitation of vulnerable populations. "This is a good place for the kids to work as this is something that is so close to home and so many of our young people have no idea how easily it could be them. So, we are hoping not only for the opportunity to make a difference for others but also to open some eyes in our own youth."

To fortify their trip fund, a team of members assisted the Bryan family with their move into town on Saturday, May 29. About their work, Lonnie Bryan was especially grateful: "We bought a home in Chinook, so we needed help moving from the rental house. We also had two cargo trailers to be unloaded. It was a big job and a lot of very hard work! We could never have done this without their help. The whole group was wonderful and we will always remember that day. Chrissy shared a bit about what the students are raising money for, and it is a very worthy cause."

Downs added, "Although we were missing several of our good helpers that day due to branding, the State Track Meet, and family obligations, we have good kids."

In other combination community service/fundraisers, the group has done yardwork, provided childcare, and performed odd jobs for which people make donations if they choose.

Anyone wishing to employ young people in this capacity should call Downs at 262-4013. "Our availability depends upon everyone's schedule, but we try to find workers and time when people ask," Downs stated.

JUMP will also have a presence at the Farmers' Market this summer whenever a crew is available to service a booth. They will make Lumpia, which is the Filipino version of egg rolls, and Boba Smoothies.

The word "boba" can refer to either a broad category of chunky drinks - including everything from iced tea with tapioca pearls to fresh juice loaded with fruity bits - or to the black tapioca pearls themselves.

The dark pearls-the boba-are gluten-free and made of tapioca starch-an extract of the South American cassava plant-which is then combined in an industrial mixer "with brown sugar syrup, water, potassium sorbate and guar gum, to produce a damp, caramel-colored powder," according to the New York Times. The result is a mostly flavorless, chewy black substance.

Because the drink is made from natural ingredients, it is a healthy alternative to coffee or soft drinks. In its most basic form, the drink consists of black tea, milk, ice, and chewy tapioca pearls, all shaken together like a martini and served with a fat straw to accommodate the marbles of tapioca that cluster at the bottom of the cup. However, the variety that JUMP will prepare are strawberry and mango smoothies with tapioca pearls, no tea.

"We normally sell pies for the holidays and host our Ultimate Salad and Dessert Bar fundraiser. But again COVID happened, so no pies this year and no salad bar for two years now. The Eagles have been super supportive, as they let us rent their booth during the fair, and we were able to make up for some of the financial loss of the Salad Bar. Then in the fall/winter, the Eagles again asked us to help with the Meat Raffle by selling tickets. They gave us a generous share of the profits, making up for our missed pie sales," Downs reported.

Because JUMP's focus is on being able to move forward, in August they plan to host Vacation Bible School (VBS). "We are pretty good on funds for this year's mission trip. But fundraising of sorts is an ongoing process for us, as we provide the kids with meals every week and do things like VBS. We plan to work concessions, make pies, and have our fundraising dinners again. We are grateful to the community for supporting us in so many ways. We try to give back by doing service projects when we can," Downs explained.