Sherre-Khan Jones, left, and Stella Bolin, both of Lawrence, prepare pancakes and bacon in the kitchen of the Ninth Street Baptist Church, 847 Ohio, for a communitywide pancake feed on Saturday.

As the basement of Ninth Street Missionary Baptist Church filled with the smell of bacon Saturday morning and parishioners rushed about in the kitchen to cook pancakes, a movie played in the corner.

It was a documentary made by three college students about the plight of Ugandan children who are fleeing their homes to escape being child soldiers.

Volunteers were cooking the bacon and pancakes in the kitchen nearby to raise money and awareness so schools and safety zones could be established for the children halfway around the world.

The idea for the fundraiser was hatched by 17-year-old Free State High School student Arielle Bremby.

She watched the movie at school and was so inspired to act that she e-mailed her youth minister, Garry Marshall, about ideas on how to help.

With the desire to help overflowing, the church’s junior high Sunday school class decided to put on a car wash outside the church at the same time. The money raised from the car wash is going to those needing assistance closer to home, in the community of Greensburg.

“I’m really shy,” Bremby said. “This is my first attempt at anything like this.”

Bremby handed out fliers downtown, told church members and posted messages on MySpace about the pancake feed. They had enough food to feed about 300 people, she said.

Bremby isn’t the only high school student who’s seen the movie about the children of Uganda, which is titled “Invisible Children.”

Amanda Knog, also a 17-year-old FSHS student, said many other local students have taken up the cause.

“I think teenagers relate more because we see children that are our age or younger,” Knog said.

After parking her car for a wash, Daphne Payne made her way into the church for some pancakes Saturday morning.

“I’m proud of what they are doing,” she said of the youths in her church. “I’m happy to help.”