120 Panama City Students To Help South Seminole Heights Residents

From Common Ground Church:

On July 19 and 20, Current of Tampa Bay and Common Ground Church in South Seminole Heights will host 120 students from Northstar Church, located in Panama City, FL. The students will participate in several community outreach initiatives designed to enhance the quality of life for South Seminole Heights residents. The middle and high school students are between 12-18 years of age.

They are participating in Northstar’s Axis Student Ministry for a week-long mission trip. Their busy schedule includes students waking up by 7 a.m. and ending their day with small group discussions at 9 p.m. During their time in Tampa, they will serve the South Seminole Heights neighborhood.

“The students will participate in a number of projects while here in Tampa including helping with a Laundry Love Project in Sulphur Springs, packing food baskets for about 250 homes and delivering those baskets to homes in South Seminole Heights neighborhoods,” said Common Ground’s Lead Pastor Danny Schaffner . “They will also provide help with a minor rehab project on a local building focused on painting and cleaning.”

Laundry Love Projects provide deserving low-income families with the opportunity to have their clothes and linens washed for free.

While this is Current’s and Common Ground’s first project with Northstar Church, Current President Jason Sowell has had a personal relationship with Northstar’s staff for over a decade. Northstar is located in his hometown of Panama City.

“We are looking forward to the students coming to Tampa for a couple of days. These students will have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of others, and this community. They will get a chance to work as part a larger team of people doing positive things while serving members of our community,” Sowell said.

Current and Common Ground are seeking donations of laundry detergent, quarters (rolls of $10), 1-gallon Ziploc bags, garbage bags, coloring books, crayons, fabric softener, and laundry baskets as well as dried goods and other non-perishables for the food baskets. These donations will help with the Laundry Love Project. More information about this event including a promotion video can be found online at Engagethecurrent.org.

Current is a faith-based organization that started with young adults committed to educating others on current social initiatives and mobilizing them to bring about change. Current establishes college campus groups for awareness and education, organizes local projects such as the Laundry Love Project and the Hope for Homes Project, and leads yearly domestic and international mission trips.

Launched in September of 2007, Common Ground Christian Church is a multi-ethnic church from the urban corridor of Tampa. Other community impact initiatives connected with Common Ground are Backpack Attack Tampa (backpackattacktampa.com), Fall Festival in partnership with Broward Elementary, and Spring Fling, a community spring event. For more information go to commongroundtampa.com or call 813-232-1400.