Young Adult Volunteers Emma Kate Lander (from Maryland) and Brendan Stump (from West Virginia) were honored Sunday evening at a "farewell cookout" at Sweet Park in Chinook. The YAV program is in its 9th year in Chinook. The 2021-2022 YAVs arrived last August for an 11-month term of service in the Chinook area and will head home this week.

The YAV program is a ministry of the PCUSA (Presbyterian Church in the USA) and is supported/sponsored by the Methodist, American Lutheran, Presbyterian and Alliance churches in Chinook. The program is an ecumenical, faith-based year of service for people 19-30 years of age. Sites are located across the nation and around the world where the young people serve with Chinook being the most rural area of the sites.

Locally the YAVs serve in the Chinook schools, at the Funshine Preschool, the Grande Villa, the Chinook Food Pantry, the Sonshine Church School and at the Sweet Memorial Nursing Home. In addition to the service part of the program, another purpose is to help YAVs discern if they are called to a particular type of Christian vocation. Locals may remember Rev. Maggie Lewis who was the minister at the Chinook Presbyterian Church until a couple of years ago. She was the first YAV to serve in Chinook. After her year of service she left and completed seminary, then came back to serve as an ordained minister. She's currently serving as a minister in Hamilton, Montana.

Emma Kate Lander and Brendan Stump arrived August, 2021

Each YAV writes a blog during their term of service. Both Emma Kate and Brendan were from urban areas back east and each, per their comments in their blogs, were a bit anxious about coming to such a rural area. After almost a year on the Hi-line, Emma Kate wrote, "As excited as I am to return home, it's a bittersweet moment as I prepare to leave this place and these people who have come to mean so much to me." She'll start attending Pittsburg Theological Seminary in about a month. She added, "...to work in a rural setting and perform ministry is giving me valuable insight." She's preparing to do youth ministry after completing seminary.

Brendan will be returning to his hometown of Hurricane, West Virginia, near Charleston, the state capitol. At the farewell picnic Brendan shared, "Emma Kate and I were not quite sure what to expect but we found wonderful people and experiences in Montana." He added, "Leaving is difficult and we'll treasure the memories me made this year."

Brendan wrote on his blog about missing the mountains in West Virginia and added, "Home is still where the people bleed blue and gold and everything is themed after the Mountaineers (West Virginia University colors and mascot)." He said he missed his family and the water that "tastes just right" and wondered if that was what being homesick felt like. He's hoping to get a position at a newly expanded state library in nearby Charleston, the state capitol.

No Young Adult Volunteers in Chinook for 2022-2023

Rev. Jack Mattingly, the site coordinator for Chinook's YAV program, has announced there were no applications this year for young people wanting to serve in Chinook. He explained, "Applicant numbers are down this year. National leaders of the program and site coordinators all over the country say several factors have led to a decline in applications for the YAV program. A hot job market is attracting many recent graduates who used to take a year or two off to volunteer before taking a job. COVID-related issues have limited recruiting and many sites are still facing uncertain covid outbreaks and protocols. In a typical pre-pandemic year about 70 YAVs would be placed, this coming year there appear to be 19 placements at best.

The YAVs not only bring new enthusiasm and skills to the groups and places they serve in Chinook, they also become a part of the community. The people at the farewell picnic represented various segments of the community that the YAVs touch in a typical year-from senior citizens to preschoolers, these YAVs made lots of friends during their year in Chinook. They will be missed.