Two young church volunteers are looking to “spread a little kindness” in the Selby community by volunteering their time - two months after swapping the sunny climbs of Texas for the cooler conditions of North Yorkshire.
Brooke Stewart and Ella Babcock packed their bags in the USA at the end of April and flew thousands of miles to England, tasked with helping people in Yorkshire, as well as spreading their message about faith. The religious duo, who are part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, initially volunteered in the Leeds, Pontefract and Yorkshire region, but, several weeks ago, they were sent to Selby. After spending the last number of weeks in the town, Brooke and Ella have been helping with litter-picking, gardening and meeting the people of Selby - who they say are “lovely community-minded people”. While over in the UK, the pair hope to help Selby where they can by doing odd jobs, as well as communicating their message about Jesus Christ.
Brooke said: “In essence, we were curious about volunteering and what opportunities we could have over in the UK, so moved over here. I’ve been here for two-and-a-half months, and Ella came to join me a month ago now. “We are here to serve people and the community, and whether it’s gardening or Jesus Christ they need - we’re here for it. “We’ve had to get used to the culture over here, and it’s a slower pace of life, and there are some home comforts that we don’t have, but it’s lovely to be here.” Now that they’ve spent several months in Yorkshire, Brooke and Ella plan to stay in the UK until August - where they will then return to their homes in the US. Ella added: “We’ve got to know some lovely people, and we can’t wait to meet more and more people as our volunteering continues. “One thing we’ve noticed about Selby is that so many people we meet want to build up the community and work for its benefit - it’s inspiring, and it boosts us to hear people so enthusiastic about the place they live.”
Brooke Stewart and Ella Babcock are volunteering their time in the Selby community after moving over from the USA. (01-07-108 SU)
