GREENFIELD — Nearly 150 students gathered at Holy Trinity Church this past week to listen to speakers who had been involved with gangs or were around gang members while they were their age.
The students were high school students in the first and second years of their journey toward confirmation in the Catholic church.
On April 12, the students heard from representatives of the Motivating Individual Leadership for Public Advancement (MILPA). The organization focuses on teaching youth about their ancestors and where they came from. MILPA also aims to teach how to be a better person.
“I think it’s kind of cool that we are here during Easter week because it’s redemption time,” Rosemary Soto said.
“I learned a lot about other people’s stories today,” said first-year confirmation student Veronica Aguilar. “This is a small town, so I always hear my friends’ stories and they are very similar to mine. Listening to the speakers, their stories were very different from ours.”
The confirmation students heard about the drawbacks of going into prison and how different that is from life outside of jail.
During spring break week on April 10, the confirmation students gathered in the Parish Hall to hear from a group called “Why Did You Stop Me?” The group spoke about what happens when police are dispatched.
“Why Did You Stop Me?” also raffled off hats, three tablets and duffel bags.
On April 11, the confirmation students were shown a video, “The Ultimate Gift,” about choices. The story followed the “troublemaker” of a family who is having parties at his house and when his grandfather dies he has to change his ways and turn his life around.
