Young Men’s Service League of Longview volunteers at Hiway 80 Rescue Mission

LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) - An East Texas young men’s service organization volunteers their time to help in their own way at a rescue mission shelter.

The ‘Young Men’s Service League’ of Longview showed up to volunteer at Hiway 80 Rescue Mission men’s and women’s shelter this Sunday.

“All of our freshman guys and their moms are at the women’s shelter decorating cooking and serving tonight, and then our sophomores are across the street at the men’s shelter,” says YMSL chapter president Melissa Kitchens.

In it’s inaugural year as a YMSL chapter, it’s a national service organization for high school boys and their mothers to serve together.

Their mission:

“The goal of YMSL is for high school boys and their moms to continue to bond while they serve others and while they give back to the community,” Kitchens says.

“It’s nice getting to spend time with Mom that most people wouldn’t be able to and having time to help other people that aren’t as fortunate as us,” says 14 year old member Beckett Cox.

The common bond is ‘not what you can give yourself’, but what you can give to others.

“You can tell them that all day long, but when you get to actually work with them and show them, I think that’s something that lasts a lifetime,” says Jennifer Hodges.

“I get to help out my Longview community and make a difference, and it looks good on your resume, well rounded student. I guess it kind of changes you. You see a different perspective of life,” says Hodges son Mason.

And for the mothers, spending a little bit of quality time with their sons, while they’re still at home.

“In this society , kids do grow up too fast,” says Jo Carol Cox.

“I had felt especially this summer, that window of that time together closing in. and so when this time became available, its was just an imbedded way to make sure we had that time together,” said one volunteer mother.

“I like spending time with my mom and helping in the community,” says Cole Kitchens.

Young Men’s Service League currently has 132 chapters in 18 states.

Longview is the first East Texas chapter.

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