On Friday, June 7th the St. Sarkis Salt & Light Youth Group held its end of season social, a Summer Kick Off party! Over 80 youth group members attended this event, which was held at the outdoor area behind St. Sarkis Church. The youth enjoyed a variety of food offered from Sids Food Truck, they participated in outdoor games such as volleyball, soccer and other activities, and socialized to the tunes provided by one of our own members, DJ Niko. Towards the end of the night, they enjoyed making their own ice cream sundaes and gathered around a campfire for s'mores. During a special moment shared by the group, we bid farewell to our graduating seniors, wished them luck and gave them a small gift, a wooden Cross engraved with the Salt & Light logo. Der Hayr addressed the group as they gathered around the campfire and spoke to them about the importance of staying active in the life of the church and how that is critical component of staying connected with your Armenian identity. Of course, it would not be an Armenian gathering without our youth coming arm-in-arm to perform traditional dances, which was amazing to watch for all the facilitators.
In addition to all the outdoor fun had by our members, the Salt & Light Junior members also participated in an outreach opportunity that was made available by one of our own facilitators, Janet Tutuyan. Under Janet's guidance, our Junior members prepared over 100 snack bags to be taken to local soup kitchen. We are so grateful to Janet for organizing this outreach and teaching the youth the importance of giving back to local communities in need.
On behalf of the coordinators and facilitators of the St. Sarkis Salt & Light Youth Group, we feel truly blessed to lead this wonderful group of kids once a month, and wish them a wonderful summer. Looking forward to seeing all their beautiful faces for our Fall Season in September.