Blatt learned stewardship early, now living it in Paraguay

By Denny Scott, St. Andrew Lutheran Church

VANCOUVER — Jessica Blatt, who grew up at St. Andrew Lutheran Church and is a Peace Corps volunteer, is building an environmental-restoration center made of recycled plastic bottles in Paraguay.

Since 2009, the 25-eyar-old has lived in Ayolas, a town of 15,000 on the southern border of the South American country. Blatt has raised $7,000 for the project, which is already having several impacts. It demonstrates how solid waste can be reduced. It engages young people to think environmentally. And, a new center of environmental-restoration programs will result when Blatt's tour ends this June.

Blatt has generated excitement among the youth of Ayolas. They have formed EcoAyolas and they are collecting plastic soda bottles and preparing them to substitute as "bricks” for construction. Fifteen members of this group have organized community cleanups, tree plantings, Earth Day celebrations, environmental field trips and ecology summer camps.

Blatt said the seeds of her service were planted at St. Andrew. "Being nurtured at St. Andrew to share my time, talent and treasure. I decided to become a steward in a very real way doing an environmental project in Paraguay.”

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Jessica Blatt

Blatt and students collect plastic bottles for the building.

The bottle walls will be covered with stucco, as in this example from another location.