STURBRIDGE, Mass. – Hundreds of teens from the Youth Encountering Christ winter retreat program are giving back to their community this weekend.

The three-day conference is held each year at the Sturbridge Host Hotel. It includes high school and junior high students from 40 congregations all over New England.

This year, they're giving back through a potato drop mission project.

"So these potatoes came from Maine, and they were driven down on a semi-truck," said Youth Encountering Christ Volunteer Director Allyson Clark. "There’s 42,000 pounds of potatoes in 50 pound bags, and so the students have taken them and they're breaking them, dividing them out into 10-pound bags and then coming in the backdoor, we have groups that are picking them up from soup kitchens, food pantries.”

Clark said the Worcester County Food Bank and the food bank of Western Massachusetts will be picking up potatoes.

A church member from Connecticut said it means a lot to give back to her community.

"It feels great to me because at my home," said Celiona Alteme. "We’re aren't able to give what we should and to be here to actually help out is not only helping them, but improves how I can view the world and how I can help in the future.”

Clark said the theme of the conference this year is ‘“Treasure.” She said the goal of the annual event is to give young people the opportunity to experience Christ not just through worship, but through recreational and community projects.

"This is way that they can literally touch potatoes," Clark said. "Bag potatoes, seal them up, carry 15-pound bags. And for us who are Christ's followers, it's away to of incorporating into our DNA that we’re to be servants, just like Jesus was a servant.”

The Youth Encountering Christ Conference runs through Sunday.