Anyone over the age of 10 can enjoy an evening of ghoulish fun at the old library next Friday starting at 4:30 p.m., when the normally quiet building comes alive with whispers, howls, and other Halloween mayhem. After weeks of effort to transform the building into a proper haunted mansion, parents and members of the new Harvard Ecumenical Youth Group will open the doors for what they promise will be a creepy, gross, and scary tour. Following a “Bride of Frankenstein” script written by Pat Cooper, each room of the building promises a new experience and the chance for a new fateful fright. Cindy Steeves, a group leader and parent volunteer, can’t wait to unveil the creep factor down to the last pre-recorded scream.

“It’s not for the faint of heart,” she said.

Youth group members Kiley Nygren, Sarah Duckett, Billy McNamara, Owen Alderson, Justin Ruenheck, Lucas Hickok, Rhett Nuenighoff and Sophie Aney bag cookies donated by Harvard Sweet Boutique to Loaves and Fishes food pantry in Devens. (Courtesy photo)

Parents and members of the youth group have been working hard to pull together a great experience for the town, group leader Debbie Noyes said in an interview last Monday. Joined by fellow leaders Kerri Stoffel and Jeanne Jarosz, all the women agreed that a wealth of talent showed up to make the haunted mansion a very professional—and very scary—effort. From the ballroom to the laboratory, kids and parents have been working together to make a memorable event with an added benefit: all proceeds from the suggested $3 admission fee or nonperishable food donation will benefit the Loaves & Fishes food pantry.

Watching the haunted mansion come together has been a labor of love for all four women, Stoffel said, and a testament to the enthusiasm for this kind of activity among middle school children. After seeing a need for an ecumenical youth group for kids in sixth through eighth grade, group founder Debbie Noyes banded together with Steeves, Stoffel, and Jeanne Jarosz to organize what has already proven a hugely successful effort, with more than 50 children participating in an outreach activity or meeting at any one time. The group focuses on activities that benefit the town or surrounding communities and has already made an impact since its inception last summer. The local emphasis is intentional, both Stoffel and Jarosz noted, so that the kids come away with an awareness of need even within their immediate circle. With the simple motto “Put our faith into action,” Noyes sees the group as a logical extension of the volunteerism and sense of generosity shared by each member’s parents. But just as important, she added, is that everyone has fun with the group. A recent kayak outing had the whole group laughing together, and everyone is encouraged to bring a friend to join in.

The group always meets on the first Friday evening of the month, and members bring $3 to offset the cost of pizza and soda served at the meeting. At this gathering the four leaders solicit ideas for community outreach activities, offering the necessary adult support and supervision needed to make each event a success.

Eighth-grader Owen Alderson already feels like the group has made an impact. “The Harvard Ecumenical Youth Group has been such an amazing experience so far,” he said. “In the month that we have been together I feel like we have made a big difference, through volunteer work at Loaves & Fishes and working on the haunted mansion.”

Young thrill-seekers can find the way to the haunted mansion in the old library on Fairbank Street Oct. 31 by following the line of pumpkins, “lit on Mass.,” organized by the Friends of the Arts. Small groups (ages 10 and older) will be led through the building from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. For more information on the haunted mansion or the Harvard Ecumenical Youth Group, contact Debbie Noyes at debbenoyes@charter.net, Cindy Steeves at cindysteeves@charter.net, Kerri Stoffel at kstoffel6@hotmail.com or Jeanne Jarosz at jjarosz@charter.net.