The carnival came to Life Butler County and its clients.

It was just one in a series of teen mission groups that have been helping out at the adult day health center at 231 W. Diamond St.

For four days in late June, seven teens were at the center for two hours every day, running traditional carnival attractions such as skee-ball, bottle toss, ring toss, spin art and face painting for groups of up to 40 clients, said Ingrid Tallarico, recreation manager at Life Butler County.

“They really connect with the participants in the program,” said Tallarico. “Just watching those young individuals interact with seniors is amazing. They breathe life into them.”

This was the second of five mission groups that will be visiting Life Butler County this summer, said Marla Frailey, the center's director.

The visitors' ages range from seventh to 12th graders, and there are 12 to 20 in a group. Seven or eight teens visit the center each day of their visit.

“I was put in contact with Tom Bowser of Fishbone Ministries. I thought it would be good for the mission group to come here to serve, good for old and young alike,” said Tallarico.

“We've been making trips to Butler for seven years now,” said Bowser, who heads Fishbone Ministries, 437 Shore St. “We started with the Life center four years ago.”

Bowser called his lay ministry that he runs with his wife, Sandy, “a faith-based ministry saving the unchurched in the Island area.”

He said he began it in 2002 after a good friend died of a drug overdose.

“We have to reach these young people with the love of Jesus and how to make good, healthy decisions,” he said.

He said he got the idea to sign Butler up for mission group visits after his own mission visit to inner-city Philadelphia.

He said there will be six youth missions coming to Butler this summer from churches in Maryland, New Jersey, Michigan and from in state including one from Westminster Presbyterian in Butler.

Housed at the Net Outreach Center, 100 Center Ave., Bowser said each group splits its time between Life Butler County, the Salvation Army and what he called “prayer walking.”

“Some go to the Salvation Army to help with their lunch program every day,” said Bowser, “And some go prayer walking through the city, praying for different sites like the courthouse or random people that they meet.”

And each group conducts a vacation Bible school in the park along Shore Street.

Each group also completes a service project during its six- to seven-day stay.

For instance, an earlier mission group from Midland, Mich., built raised flower beds at the health care center, said Tallarico.

And she believed a future mission group would build benches to complement the flower beds.

The effect on both groups — teens and seniors — has been gratifying said Tallarico. “The group this week requested to come back again,”she said.

Other mission groups were scheduled to visit the health center the weeks of July 23 and July 30, she said.

This is the fourth year that mission groups have helped out at Life Butler County, said Frailey.

“We're fortunate to have youth interested in working with seniors, interacting with them,” said Frailey.