Crestview church youth group exceeds goal to feed the hungry

Joy Fellowship Pastor Joe Butryn gathers with the church's Senior High Youth Group members who recently collected 5,300 pounds of food for the poor. Bottom row, after Butryn: Bailey Palmer, Christian Watkins, April Butryn and Brooklyn Layfield. Top row: Marissa Butryn, Katelyn Chessher, Jewel Brooks, Crislynn Giles, Isaac Howard, Jordan Englebright, Chris Goodwin, Austin Walters, Brandon Prine, Hunter Phillips, Megan Ayala and Haleigh Butryn.

CRESTVIEW — The Joy Fellowship Senior High Youth Group has exceeded its goal: to collect 5,000 pounds of food for the poor.

Youth group members collected 5,300 pounds of food and donated it to the Crestview Pregnancy Center, New Beginnings Mission Center and to Sharing and Caring, according to a church spokesperson.

They completed the mission sooner than expected, too, meeting their deadline — to collect food from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 — the last week in September.

"Our group is trying to make a difference in our community by putting others first and recognizing that there is a mission field in our own community," a church spokesperson said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview church youth group exceeds goal to feed the hungry