At the Gathering Place you’ll find:
Children as leaders, students striving to better their communities and each other, and empowered young people engaging others around them.
As much as Rochester is a thriving hub of volunteerism, many of the opportunities are geared toward adults. I wanted to find a volunteer opportunity in the (585) that young people could participate in, take the lead, and really grow. When sharing my research with a friend, she immediately mentioned, “The Gathering Place! You have to check them out.” And so I did.
Founder Wendy Lesko was a program director for United Church of Christ where the Gathering Place now leases space for activities. During the COVID pandemic, church attendance and community service came to an almost standstill. Lesko and cofounder Wendi Latko recognized that this was a serious community problem. People still needed support especially during those times of isolation. In October 2023, they created the Gathering Place to reach people in need. Although the cofounders began in a church, they realized that religion could be a barrier to participation for some. Hence, the Gathering Place was formed as a nondenominational organization where all are welcome.
Lesko’s energy and enthusiasm for the mission of the Gathering Place is infectious. She and Latko help empower children and teens so they can transform the world around them with selfless acts of giving. Giving at the Gathering Places means many things: third graders reading to younger ones on Saturday mornings, kids creating and filling bags for youths in transition, students attending leadership camps that pave the way for more acts of service, and more. There are currently more than twenty-five ongoing programs with more being created by students themselves.
Students initiating and acting on programs is key to this organization. “Giving them the fertile soil so they can become leaders” is a Gathering Place mantra. This core idea is a part of all aspects of the organization including a summer leadership course. When an eight-year-old asks leadership, “When can I be a project manager?” you know the organization is doing something right.
At the Gathering Place, empowering youth means that they can create their own future. An example of this is the Friendship Workshop that meets on Tuesdays. Third, fourth, and fifth grade students lead a “Young Leaders, Little Readers” event on Saturday mornings. Yes, there are adults to be watchful, but the event is run by youth members. Sometimes a service project requires explaining hard situations to the young volunteers. For example, some of the people served by the Gathering place are unhoused children. Wendy notes that it can be difficult to explain to a child that another child might not have a home. But gentle explanations help them to see the importance of their work. Creating a bag of snacks, toiletries, and clothing is a concrete way to help the child understand a need. The level of understanding differs with each child and situation, but it is motivation to continue service work.
The Gathering Place (you can find it on Facebook at Gathering Place Webster or gatheringplacewebster.org) is a nonreligious nonprofit sustained by donations. The free pet food pantry is only one of the organization’s pantries sustained by donations all year round. Check out the long list of opportunities for your child, grandchild, or any child in your life and begin fostering the love of helping others.
Yes, the Gathering Place has a lot of requests to help from scout troops, sports teams, and neighborhood groups, but there is always room for more! As seven-year-old Hattie says, “I was excited to put things in bags that people need, because it will put a smile on their face. I feel super helpful because we give people stuff they really need.”
Let us know how the Gathering Place changes you!
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of (585) Kids.
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