Jessice and Veloff and Katy Von Der Heide have been awarded with youth service awards.

When the Stewardship Committee was gathering names for this year’s Faith and Service Awards, Jessica Veloff and Katy Von Der Heide were working in the church office and asked, “Why don’t we have a youth award?” So who better to receive such an award than this duo?

Jessica and Katy have grown up in this congregation.  They were confirmed here in 2008.  They have been leaders in youth activities, participants in youth retreats. Last month Jessica was in her 20th play here, Katy was in her 13th. 

They traveled together last summer to the National Youth Event for the United Church of Christ in Knoxville, Tenn., and brought back ideas that helped establish our Environmental Stewardship Task Force and that led to their Souper Bowl collection in February that raised money for Luke House. They work with younger children around here, add their voices to congregational discussions. They have each served on a pastoral search committee – Jessica for the associate pastor and Katy for the new senior pastor.

Jessica and Katy have shown how young people can be great leaders in our congregation and we are happy to honor them.