July 12-17 2020
Registration is Now Open!
Please review the information below before registering.

Each year in July, approximately 90 adults, college students and high school youth travel to the Bishop Hodges Pastoral Center in Huttonsville, West Virginia for a week-long mission trip to repair and improve homes for families in the greater Elkins area. Preparation for the mission trip begins months in advance with team fundraising and with a dedicated group of volunteer leaders who work with the local Catholic Charities in Elkins to receive home repair applications, scout out and assess potential sites, and plan and prepare for the work that will be done. The adult leaders guide the youth throughout the week both on the jobsite and off. In addition to working a jobsite Monday-Thursday, the team has an opportunity for daily Mass, communal meals, planned recreation in the evening (like pool time, hay rides, and games), prayer, discussion, and dynamic evening programs led by the youth minister and other adult leaders. By the end of the week, the group will have completed great work, significantly changed the lives of those they’ve served, and will have had their own lives deeply impacted.

If you are a high school student (will at least be in 9th grade Fall 2020) or college student who is looking for a fun, different, and meaningful experience this summer, consider signing up for the trip! Those who have gone always say that it’s the best week of their year and can’t wait to go back. The memories are unforgettable and the friendships made are lasting.

If you are an adult – with or without construction and home renovation experience – who enjoys teaching and spending time with teens, and who loves to serve, consider signing up for the trip! The mission trip isn’t possible without a generous and hard working group of adults, and there is a place for everyone!
Students can sign up with or without their parents (we have a mixture of teens who come with their parents and those who don’t).  The cost is $400 per person this year. Registrations will be accepted up until we reach our maximum number of people, so don’t wait to register.  Go to www.stmpgh.org/appalachia to complete your online registration form.  If you have any questions at all, please contact Karen McElhaney, Youth Minister, at mcelhaneyk@stm-sjc.org or at 412-835-6996 x227.

Want to help fund our trip? Donations can be sent to Youth Ministry - Appalachia, St. Thomas More, 126 Fort Couch Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15241. Checks can be made payable to “St. Thomas More” with “Appalachia” in the memo.
 

Tuesday, October 22
7:00pm-8:00pm in the Family Life Center
Information Meeting for all people interested in signing up for the 2019 trip (parents of participants too). Trip details, expectations, and fundraising will be discussed. (Not mandatory)

Tuesday, October 22
Registration Opens!
Fill out the online form at www.stmpgh.org/appalachia
**Completion of online form required to be considered officially registered and to be added to the team roster and email list.

Tuesday, May 5
7:00pm-8:00pm in the Family Life Center
Worksite Leaders/All Registered Adults Meeting
Material Covered: Responsibilities and Roles, Job Assignments, Transportation, and Logistics

Friday, June 5
Final balance due. Checks should be made out to STM.

Tuesday, June 9
7:00pm-8:00pm in the Family Life Center
Mandatory All Team (and parents) Meeting
Material Covered: Schedule for the Week, Jobsites Breakdown, Transportation, Logistics, Expectations, and Q&A

Saturday, July 11
2:30pm Packing the truck in the STM school parking lot.

Saturday, July 11
4:00pm Mass together to send us forth.
We will sit together as a group (family members are welcome too!) in the far section on the choir side/ambo side of the church.

July 12-17, 2020
Appalachia Mission Trip!

Sunday, July 12
10:00am Meet in school parking lot
Departure from STM to West Virginia.
We will pray together, load vans, and be on the road at 10:30am.

Friday, July 17
Last Day, Picnic and Return to STM.
By 12:00pm we will be finished cleaning up the Retreat Center and re-packing vans and trucks.
At 1pm we will have a picnic at a local park shelter for all of the homeowners. We’ll leave at 3:00pm from the picnic to head back to Pittsburgh.

Sunday, July 19
Return Mass and Team Potluck: 11:30am Mass at STM, 12:30pm potluck in the FLC