How It All Started

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36 teens attended a service camp called Young Christians at Work for a few days leading up to Easter of 2007. Service and social justice were the prevailing themes during their stay at Harvest House in downtown Buffalo.

The teens heard the story of the pickle jar and began collecting loose change in their own pickle jar. One evening, the pastor of St. Martin de Porres, Fr. Ron Sajdak brought one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, Fidele Diing Dhan, to teach the teens about global solidarity and outreach.  Fidele explained that he hoped to build a clinic and a school in his village in Southern Sudan.

By the end of the week, the teens had decided to dedicate themselves to raising enough money to build a wing of the clinic.  With a goal of $35,000 and a year and a half to accomplish it, the teens became a youth branch of Reaching Out To Africa (ROTA).  They named their project after the story, and the Pickle Jar Project became a reality.

Our Goal

Raise $35,000 for a wing of the Koiyom Clinic

By the end of 2008.

A Small but Significant Fact: According to the Youth Worker Journal, American teens spent a total of $179 billion in 2006

Dedicated to: Father Gary Bagley

and Sister Karen Klimczak SJ