Teens from Mendham parish complete mission trip to Appalachia

MENDHAM  Fifty-one teens and 21 chaperones from St. Joseph Parish here traveled to Paintsville, Ky., from June 19 to 25, as part of the parish’s 14th annual Teen Appalachia Mission Trip. The team worked in conjunction with Good Neigh­bors, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that serves the working poor in Johnson County, Ky.

Good Neighbors arranges the sites that the Mendham mission team work on each summer. The local families the team serves do not receive any government assistance. People in need reach out to Good Neighbors for help in repairing homes, putting on needed additions, etc. In return, those that receive help are required to undergo financial training to teach them to budget and save and they often turn around and help others in their community.

This year the team’s projects included roof and foundation repair, building decks, and replacing windows and flooring. At one site, the team began construction on a new home for a family that had lost their home to a fire a few months ago.

“The mission team builds special bonds with the families they serve, often having meals together and taking the time to get to know the families and their stories. The experience is life-changing, not just for the families, but for the volunteers as well,” said Mark Tosso, St. Joseph’s youth director. “This trip allows our group to foster relationships and grow spiritually in our mission to care for others. This helps develop a feeling of community within our parish.”

“Appalachia is unlike any other trip and it is amazing to see the community we create throughout the week between the members of our mission team and the amazing people of Paintsville,” says Patrick Gillespie, a senior at Mendham High School. “This week reminds me to be more grateful for what I have and the importance of helping others.”

“Appalachia made me realize you can be so happy with so little and that true happiness has nothing to do with money or material things,” adds Catherine McCarthy, a junior at Villa Walsh Aca­demy in Morristown. “I also have a greater appreciation for where I get to live and the people I have in my life. I’m so glad I went!”

Parent volunteer Michele McCarthy, who has traveled to Kentucky with her four teens over the past five years, added, “Every year I am amazed at the incredible teenagers that we bring to Kentucky. They sacrifice a week of their summer vacation to serve others. Despite the heat and the not-so-luxurious living quarters, they do it with a smile. It is great to see them realize that they can make a difference in the lives of other people in the world.”