What is a service trip?
What?
- manual labor to complete specific work projects
- "ministry of presence" (sharing their time and attention)
- daily prayer and reflection on the experience
- daily Mass (when available)
- building relationships among group participants and with local people
Who?
Wake Forest Catholic Campus Ministry participants have included undergraduates and graduate students from Salem College, WFU and NCSA. Father Jude or Julie and her spouse travel on each trip and on most trips, we are accompanied by Karen, who is the nurse manager at WFU student health.
WFCC Service Trips have ranged from 2-25 students
Where?
Destinations for WFCC service trips are chosen according to the needs there, along with the logistics in place which would make for a safe, comfortable and productive trip for our groups. We make an effort to connect with local Franciscans wherever we go, whether they are friars, sisters, or young people doing a year of service with a Franciscan organiazation.Past trips have gone to:- Alajuelita, Costa Rica (4x)
- Harlem and the Bronx, New York City
- Northside neighborhood of Syracuse, NY (2x)
- Kensington Neighborhood in Philadelphia, PA (3x)
- New Orleans, LA (Katrina Relief 2x)
- Pascagoula, MS (Katrina Relief 3x)
- Houma, LA (Katrina Relief)
- Montgomery (in the Coal Country), WV
- December 2008: St Mary-above-Rocks, Jamaica
- Spring Break 2009: TBA trip in conjunction with students from 10 other schools in diocese.
When?
Christmas break (either the week following exams, or the week before returning to school in January) has proven to be an excellent time for our trips. We also sponsor a trip every spring break.
Why?
One reason to go on a WFCC Service Trip is to expand your horizons by meeting people who face struggles and keep hope in the midst of a difficult life. You might just be the answer to someone's prayer as you show up with the group, ready to paint, repair steps, clean, or whatever our manual labor project is for that day. By sitting down and talking and listening to the people we meet, you might say the right thing, or something you learn from them may affect you deeply How?
On these trips, the lodging and food of each participant, plus transportation and insurance are included in the cost of the trip.100% of those costs are met by the participant doing thier own fund raising (don't worry, we have lots of experience and we help you with this!).
A certificate of thanks from Houma, LA