St. Paul’s offers Live Out Loud activities for local youth
Geneva Ross, Olivia Carpenter and Olivia Eaton crochet Worry worms as part of the Random Acts of Crochet Kindness. The worms are placed throughout the community to a smile on the face of strangers around the community. (Photo Provided)
Olivia Carpenter takes a break from group activities to work on a Kindness coloring book. (Photo Provided)
Travis Plumly, Matthew Holland, Blayze Root and Shelby Durnell and Ava Wingrove compete in a club UNO contest. (Photo Provided)
LOL leader Jeanna Plumly chats with pre-LOL members about who they are and why its important to have great friendships. (Photo Provided)
Church leader Rick Bush stopped in to play ping pong with member Trey Plumly. (Photo Provided)
Skylar Enoch puts the finishing touches on her self portrait. (Photo Provided)
Geneva Ross and Olivia Eaton paint rocks, which will be hidden around the community as a way to brighten up the lives of others around them. (Photo Provided)
Travis Plumly and Trey Plumly practice their basketball skills while enjoying the relaxed atmosphere at Live Out Loud. (Photo Provided)
Geneva Ross, Olivia Carpenter and Olivia Eaton crochet Worry worms as part of the Random Acts of Crochet Kindness. The worms are placed throughout the community to a smile on the face of strangers around the community. (Photo Provided)
Olivia Carpenter takes a break from group activities to work on a Kindness coloring book. (Photo Provided)
Travis Plumly, Matthew Holland, Blayze Root and Shelby Durnell and Ava Wingrove compete in a club UNO contest. (Photo Provided)
LOL leader Jeanna Plumly chats with pre-LOL members about who they are and why its important to have great friendships. (Photo Provided)
Church leader Rick Bush stopped in to play ping pong with member Trey Plumly. (Photo Provided)
Skylar Enoch puts the finishing touches on her self portrait. (Photo Provided)
Geneva Ross and Olivia Eaton paint rocks, which will be hidden around the community as a way to brighten up the lives of others around them. (Photo Provided)
Travis Plumly and Trey Plumly practice their basketball skills while enjoying the relaxed atmosphere at Live Out Loud. (Photo Provided)
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PARKERSBURG -- "You don't have to be in church every Sunday to be a part of a ministry," is a quote that kick started a new youth ministry at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Parkersburg.
The Plumly family took that quote to heart when it approached church leaders about using one of the many rooms in the church to create Live Out Loud, a youth-oriented division of St. Paul's.
The group, supervised by Family Ministries Coordinator Maggie Ayers, meets 5-6:30 p.m. Thursdays at the downtown Parkersburg church.
"LOL is all about doing that, living out loud," said Jeanna Plumly, one of the group's founders. "We want to make a difference in the world and want to encourage area youth to have that same mission."
One of the projects the group has taken on is to provide hygiene bags to area women in need. These bags include feminine hygiene products and other things women may need, including lip balm, lotion and shampoos. While most of the hygiene items included in the bags come from church members and friends of the group, LOL is always accepting donations of menstrual pads, tampons and travel size hygiene items.
"When you go on a trip, many hotels offer mini shampoos, body soaps and lotions," Plumly said. "We collect and distribute these items in our hygiene bags too."
The biggest goal for the group, however, is to give area teens and pre-teens a place to go that is safe to go hang out each week. Volunteers provide dinner and the youth have a choice of games, karaoke, ping pong, coloring or just hanging out. A special "Friends" area of the room offers a more laid-back atmosphere for kids to just chill.
"We just let the teens be themselves and encourage them to make new friends along the way," said co-founder Missy Plumly. "We have raised several teens ourselves and know there really isn't a place for kids to have a good time, safely, and not have to spend money."
With just two months under its belt, the program has already expanded to include a "Pre-LOL" side to the program. This side, according to Ayers, is for any child who is already potty trained and will be geared toward children ages 4-9. Games, activities and dinner will be provided. Ayers will oversee this portion of the program with the help of Heather Pingley.
"We hope to provide local children with a place to be that instills positive moral values through play," Pingley said. "We want to help children feel better about themselves while making new friends in the process."
The LOL group meets every Thursday at St. Paul's United Methodist Church at 219 11th St., Parkersburg. Enter on the Market Street side doors. Pre-LOL will start next Thursday. Parents must bring their children into the building for the first meeting so that contact information can be obtained.
For more information about LOL, contact Jeanna Plumly at 304-991-7147 or Maggie Ayers at 304-991-9364.