The youth group of Sharon Baptist Church in Ironton plans to pack their luggage and head to Peru in June of 2013, and can use the support of the community.

The youth group is hosting a spaghetti dinner Tuesday from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the church on 2010 S. Fifth St. in Ironton to raise money for the trip. The menu consists of spaghetti, coleslaw, a roll, dessert and a drink for $7, with dine-in, carryout and delivery options.

Orders for the dinner are appreciated to ensure there will be enough food prepared. To place an order, the church can be reached at (740) 532-6518.

“Anyone who can be a part of that, we would appreciate it, and it would help us out a lot,” associate pastor Aaron Fields said.

The group will be going to Peru, working with a missionary.

“They have built and operate a children’s home for orphaned children,” Fields said. He said the orphanage there stays full.

“The situation down in Peru is that there are a lot of abandoned children,” he said. “They are finding them in shoeboxes and under bridges.” He said sometimes the parents are unable to take care of the children.

He said there is only a certain number of children the orphanage can legally take in because of the facility size. He said the orphanage is constantly turning children away when the court system calls to see if they can take additional children.

“The goal is to adopt them into Christian families, either there or here in America, so they can bring in more children,” Fields said.

“One of the things we will help do while we are down there is some sort of construction to make the place larger to help them hold more children,” he said.

Fields said they will also be going into some areas of Peru that have never heard the Gospel before, feeding the people, sharing Jesus with them and giving them things they need.

The youth group is also taking orders for gourmet caramel apples, in flavors of chocolate and pecan, chocolate peanut, chocolate toffee, plain chocolate, Oreo and a white chocolate, as well as apple dumplings, at a cost of $5 each. The orders for the apples can be placed by calling the church through Nov. 11.

“Any way that people can help through these different fundraisers helps,” Fields said. “Financially, some people can give, some can’t. But everyone can pray. We appreciate any help we can get.”