A Generous School Project

Cameron Goertzen is a 16-year-old high school student in Hays, KS who used a school project to meet a need in his community.

Part of Cameron’s junior year involved an elective leadership class. For his final project, he was tasked with creating a fundraiser that would aid his community. As he thought about what he could do, he was reminded about a conversation he had with his mother about the food pantry at their church. North Oak Community Church’s food pantry was often asked about personal hygiene items, like laundry detergent and soap, but rarely had them stocked.

He decided his “Compassion Project” would go towards expanding what the food pantry had to offer. In order to raise awareness, he put together a video to show in church, as well as advertising his project in the church newsletter. At the end of the fundraiser, he had brought in approximately $1,900 to purchase personal hygiene items for the food pantry.

This kind of generosity is something worth recognizing. On June 18, 2023, MB Foundation’s President and CEO Jon Wiebe spoke at North Oak Community Church. He personally congratulated Cameron on how he used this project to take hold of real life as described in 1 Timothy 6:17-19.

“It’s always special to see this young generation start to take hold of real life for themselves. What Cameron has done shows his generosity and ability to think outside the box to help others.”

Even though the project was turned in for a grade, Cameron hopes the church will continue raising funds to supply these items at the food pantry, impacting others who need a helping hand.