College Students Spend Summer Helping Struggling Inner-City Families

"Summer in the City teaches the students compassion and gratitude," said Here's Life Inner City's Short-Term Missions Director Tom Norris.

NEW YORK, June 17, 2010— Forfeiting the traditional summer time fun, some 180 college students have decided to use their summer vacation to make a difference.  With unemployment and homelessness on the rise, the students plan to spend the summer helping and inspiring struggling inner-city families. 

The students' efforts will be coordinated through an outreach effort called "Summer in the City." Sponsored by the urban ministry Here's Life Inner City, the initiative gives young people a first-hand experience in meeting the needs of the poor.

"Summer in the City teaches the students compassion and gratitude," said Here's Life Inner City's Short-Term Missions Director Tom Norris. "For some, the experience will shape the rest of their lives-prompting them towards careers dedicated to helping the disadvantaged."

While "Summer in the City" offers students many benefits, pay is not one of them.  The young volunteers not only forfeit their summer vacation, they also pay for their travel expenses, lodging and meals.

Right now, Here's Life Inner City is trying to collect donations to help defray some of the students' expenses. To find out more information about "Summer in the City" or to donate online, visit www.HLIC.org.

Here's Life Inner City, the urban ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ International, is dedicated to equipping churches to provide help and hope to the poverty-stricken in their communities.  Since 1983, Here's Life Inner City and more than a thousand partner churches and organizations have been responding to the growing epidemic of poverty and despair in the inner city.  The wide-ranging efforts have provided the poor with food and other basic necessities, life skills, career development and youth development programs.