Rosie Willis, founder and overseer of Fresh Starts Community Garden in St. Louis, Missouri, happily receives a copy of The Great Controversy. Photo: Cerron Pollard/North American Division
Before the 62nd General Conference Session convened in St. Lous, Missouri, the Youth Ministries Department of the World Church recognized a prime opportunity to demonstrate God’s love locally. Once the July 3-12 church meeting was under way, dozens of young people worked with leaders through the impact! st. louis initiative to tangibly tell the Arch City how valuable it is in the Savior’s eyes.
Mwenya Mpundu, media coordinator for GC Youth Ministries, expressed how important it was to bring these efforts to fruition.
“In recent history, impact! has happened at almost all the sessions,” said Mpundu. “Last Session [also in St. Louis], because of COVID and budgetary constraints, it didn't happen. But we saw young people take money out of their own pockets and find ways to impact the community, even though there wasn’t something officially [organized].”
With Mpundu and her team moved by these sacrificial examples in 2022, they knew it was necessary, with opportunity knocking a second time, to provide outlets for the young people to serve this city more extensively. In partnership with Youth Ministries departments of the GC, North American Division, Mid-America Union and the Iowa-Missouri and Central States conferences, all involved hope to positively impact the communities of St Louis during the GC Session.
In the heat of St. Louis summer, what does a young adult from Cabo Verde, a YA from India, 2 YA’s from Brazil, 2 YA’s from Guadeloupe, a YA from Samoa and a YA from Central California have in common? They are part of one of the groups of Impact St. Louis, a program put together by the Youth departments of the GC, NAD, Mid America Union and the Iowa-Missouri and Central States conferences, that hopes to impact the community of St Louis during the GC Session.
Youth volunteers with impact! st. louis assist with weed removal during the GC Session held July 3-12,2025. Photo: Cerron Pollard/North American Division
Plant, Cultivate, Grow
In the heat of the St. Louis summer, young adults from Cabo Verde, India, Brazil, Guadeloupe, Samoa, and the United States pitched in at a notable project that one of the impact! st. louis sub-teams undertook: the beautification of Fresh Starts Community Garden, founded in 2009 and still run by Rosie Willis.
“This garden started because people used to throw everything that they didn't want in their house over on this [old city] lot — all kinds of trash,” Willis stated. “I live next door to this garden, and I’m one of the remnants of what was in this community. I felt and I still feel we need something more positive than trash … and crime in our neighborhood.”
According to Willis, initial discussions occurred between impact! leaders and Mary Lou Green, executive director of Brightside St. Louis.
“[Green] sets up volunteers for community gardens … that’s how I got involved with this Seventh-day Adventist group. A wonderful group of people!” Willis exclaimed. “She called and wanted to know if I needed some volunteers. Well, of course! This is a large garden, and I always want and need volunteers.”
Fresh Starts is more than just a pretty face in an urban setting. “We raise broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, [sometimes] spinach — a whole lot of cool crop [vegetables],” said Willis. In closing, she shared Fresh Starts’ motto: “‘Plant a seed, grow a community’; that’s what we are about.”
Byron Wright, Youth Ministries director for the Central States Conference, visits Fresh Starts Community Garden to observe the impact! st. louis young volunteers in action. Photo: Cerron Pollard/North American Division
Youth Perspective
One of the young people participating in the Fresh Starts cleanup is Side (sih-‘day), fashion design student from South Africa. This is not her first impact! involvement.
“This is my second time. My first time was in 2015 in San Antonio, Texas,” said Side. “However, I am the daughter of the current GC Youth director [Busi Khumalo], so I've been involved in youth for a very long time at this point. I was definitely happy enough to volunteer.”
The service options were divulged to the young people ahead of time, and for Side, Fresh Starts was an easy choice. “I decided to go with this project mainly because when I was younger, I [worked] in the garden. So, I felt that it was fitting for me.”
A young adult volunteer prepares the soil in the Fresh Starts Community Garden in St. Louis, at an impact! st. louis project during 2025 GC Session. Photo: Katie Fellows/Lake Union Conference, for North American Division
Spreading the Light
Mpundu briefly detailed some of the other impact! projects being executed throughout St. Louis. Another garden cleanup was underway at the Southside Wellness Center. General city cleanup transpired in multiple locations, including near the America’s Center Convention Complex, the host venue, and at the Great Rivers Greenway Park, near the Gateway Arch and along the Mississippi.
Some young people distributed literature on Sabbath (July 12) afternoon. Books included The Great Controversy and several volumes from the Hope series, written by a variety of specialized authors. A sub-team stationed itself near the arch while others walked through portions of the city.
Visit the GC Youth Ministries website to find out more about what young people and leaders were doing to fulfill Jesus’ gospel commission.
—John Simon is a freelance writer based in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Armando Miranda Jr., an NAD Youth and Young Adult Ministries associate director, contributed to this story.