Northfield youth make solar light boxes for Ukraine

Thirty-two solar light boxes made by Northfield youth at St. John’s Lutheran Church Wednesday night will soon be shipped to Ukraine where the power grids have been destroyed by war.

Dave Nonnemacher, who heads up New Horizons Foundation-USA, serving primarily Romania and Moldova, guided the teens and adults in the step by step construction of the boxes.

He told the 25 teens, “Once you touch a Ray of Light, your DNA will be on the light box and a little bit of you will be going to Ukraine.”

Nonnemacher has recently traveled to Ukraine, where rockets and missile strikes rain down daily, destroying the electric grid and where the barrage has left millions of displaced families to survive in basements without power, light or heat.

Nonnemacher said “Light brings hope and hope keeps people alive.”

Ray Of Life solar units

The Ray of Life unit has four basic components: a solar panel, lithium ion batteries, three LED light strips and the housing. The international company 3M, helped advise on the reflective paper the LED strands affix to as part of the panel’s design.

The solar units are constructed with the harsh living conditions of Ukraine in mind.

“The project is part of our congregation’s kickoff of a capital appeal to raise funds for energy sustainability,” said Kristin Partio, director of ministry with youth.

Each solar unit costs $125 to build. For another $25, a separate VF-100 lightweight portable water filter is included with each kit. Sponsors of the units vary and include churches, service clubs like Rotary International, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

Once the light box is assembled, then a Ukrainian flag sticker is applied to the back and the maker signs their name.

“Double greatness,” said sixth grader Elliot Davis. “We get to help others and have fun at the same time. It was a great experience for all of us and felt great to be helping people too. We’ve been praying for Ukraine for a long time and this time we got to do something about it alongside those prayers.”

Senior Pastor Pam Fickenscher said, “It’s wonderful to engage the youth in sustainability in such a hands-on way. No matter where you are in the world, the sun’s energy is free. Our church is getting ready to install solar panels here, and I’m so glad we had this opportunity to help people who are living on the edge in Ukraine capture that energy.”