Youth in Wicker Park and Bucktown assault businesses and schools... with offers of help

Emily Vagts of Gallery Cafe give Matthew and Natalie's work a thumbs up

"Hi, we're with Mosaic Church and we'd like to know if you would like us to clean your toilets?" is the question several young people have been asking businesses in Wicker Park and Bucktown. The responses include looks of shock and disbelief followed by silence, "No that's ok" and "Sure!"

Natalie Johnson polishes off the washroom sink

Matthew Harris cleans the Gallery Cafe's toilet

Industrious faith based youth groups have come from across the country to deliver services to businesses, schools and organizations this summer.

What is the reason?

Scott Venable, the Pastor of Mosaic Church.

One of the cleaning teams from Texas

Jordin Filas of Akira Mens in Bucktown said  employees who are late for work are assigned toilet cleaning duties

Scott and his wife Ashley moved from Austin, TX, to Chicago in 2010, starting a church in their Wicker Park loft space apartment. Soon they were joined by another Chicago couple. "We believe that the church is to help the community and that is in all aspects of the community," explains Scott.

"Most church philosophies focus on pulling people into their church...getting more and more people to a mass or service is their goal. We don't believe that Jesus taught like that.

"We want to mobilize people to go into all the domains of a community to make them better. So whether it's the arts, schools, parks, businesses, health care...whatever, including the often forgotten poor and homeless, that should be our number one goal."

Venable, in yellow shirt, checks in with part of a team offering businesses cleaning services along North Ave.

The Venables and others with their beliefs are doing that. They started in Wicker Park by helping in the annual holiday fountain decorating event. Now Scott is the Vice President of the Wicker Park Advisory Council. At Pritzker School he began working as a volunteer and is now part of the Pritzker family.

"He is here every day of the school year....he so demonstrates what it means to be in the community and helping the community. These young people he just brought in...they are so energized and pleasant. They worked like...machines. They went into my office and in nothing flat had it all organized in thirty minutes! (In preparation for renovations.)  It was like magic...it was wonderful," Dr. Reese, Principal of Pritzker explained.

Ahmad Zughayer (l) and Venable take a moment to talkabout activities at Pritzker School the last year

Ahmad Zughayer, coach and physical education teacher for ten years at Pritzker said, "Usually people show up once...twice...whatever....but he (Venable) is here everyday asking...'What do you need me to do?'

"He is like my brother. I hang out with him every day. He is always here from when we get here until we leave. He donates his time. The kids love him. My players love him...he is like their older brother. He is there for every game...makes sure my kids get there...he watches out for them...we go in rough neighborhoods. He works out with me every day...see we got him in shape."

Venable and his volunteers can be found helping at all types of community related events.

Church members hold a Sunday Service in Wicker Park

Explaining about Mosaic Church's long term plans, Venable said,  "We want to help partner with the city with shelters to help rehabilitate and reconcile people whether it is helping people with their addictions or the spiritual part of their life. We want to work with city for basic job training and life skills...not just give handouts to people but to help rehabilitate the person to help make them productive and better citizen of society. Whether they accept about our teachings about Jesus or not, we want to help the city make each person a better citizen."