Youth Mission Trip

The Belmont Religious Council (BRC) Youth Mission trip brings together Belmont teenagers of all faiths for a week of service. It is scheduled for the week of February school vacation, and occurs every other year. Our most recent Youth Mission trip was held on February 18-25, 2012. We helped to rebuild homes in Birmingham, Alabama, where tornadoes damaged or destroyed many homes last spring.

The purpose of the mission is to serve the members of a community that suffers from the hardships of poverty, neglect and (in some cases) natural disasters. We typically work on repairing, refurbishing and repainting houses and community centers. The work is hard, but the rewards are great.

The group travels with a team of adult advisors, and stays in a facility (such as a church or community center) provided by the community being served. The community is typically in an area in the Southeast, where outdoor work is practical in February. Projects are selected based on demonstrated need, and ability to make a difference in a week of service. The projects are coordinated with a local host organization in the community being served.

Here are links to forms for this year:

• Rules and Expectations
• Registration and Health Form

Meetings for Participants

Before each trip, we hold a series of preparatory meetings for trip participants on Sunday evenings in January and February. These meetings help us prepare for the trip, and get to know each other before the trip begins. We expect everyone to attend these meetings.

The meeting schedule for the Birmingham trip were:

• Sunday, January 8, 7:00 pm -- Plymouth Congregational Church (Belmont Center)
• Sunday, January 29, 7:00 pm -- Beth El Temple Center (2 Concord Ave.)
• Sunday, February 12, 7:00 pm -- Beth El Temple Center (2 Concord Ave.)

Parents are invited to the beginning of the second meeting, which covers trip logistics: what to pack, setting up car pools to the Manchester NH airport, etc.

February 2012 Trip — Birmingham, Alabama

The 2012 trip was held over February vacation week (Saturday, February 18 through Saturday, February 25). Last April, a series of devastating tornadoes ripped through the state of Alabama. One of the hardest hit cities was Birmingham. Entire streets were turned into rubble. We went there to help rebuild homes, and learn from those who have overcome both past injustices and recent natural disasters.

• Mission trip brochure

Our work was coordinated through the Christian Service Mission and an affiliated group Restoring Hope, a faith-based disaster recovery organization in Birmingham. Their web sites provide information about their organizations and their work. While both groups are Christian organizations, they fully understand and support the inter-faith nature of our mission trip.

You can view pictures of the recovery operations posted by Restoring Hope.

Christian Service Mission has posted a number of videos on YouTube about the tornado relief projects:

• Alabama Tornado Disater - The Bridge to Restoration - CSMission
• From Destruction to Creation - CSMission
• The 3 Steps to Connecting RESOURCES with NEEDS - CSMission

How to Participate

The Youth Mission trip is open to any young adult who is associated with one of the Belmont Religious Council (BRC) faith communities. A participant must be a high school sophomore or older (preferably age 16 or older at the time of the trip). There are typically around 30 youth members on a mission trip, representing a variety of faith traditions.

An application form and waiver of liability are required. The cost per individual is $895. This covers airfare, food and project-related expenses (such as tools and supplies). Through the generosity of others, financial aid is always available and allocated confidentially based on need. If someone has a true desire to participate but limited financial means, we will find a way for that person to join us.

To learn more, please send an email to mission@belmontrc.org

Please include the name and age of the participant, and contact information including address and phone number.

Previous Youth Mission Trips

The Youth Mission trip is a long-standing tradition in Belmont. Some previous mission trips include:

• 2010 - Galveston, Texas
• 2008 - New Orleans, Louisiana
• 2006 - Lincolnville, South Carolina
• 2005 - Selma, Alabama
• 2003 - Oakland, California
• 2001 - Cape Charles, Virginia
• 1999 - Narrows, Virginia

2010 Galveston Trip

In 2010, we had a very successful mission trip to Galveston, Texas. This area was hit hard by hurricane Ike in 2008, and is still recovering. It was a tremendous opportunity to make a real difference in a community that needs some extra help.

David Pywell Fund

David Pywell was a youth advisor on both the Lincolnville and Selma Youth Mission Trips. He was well-beloved by the youth on these trips. Dave combined a high level of professional contracting skills, strong work ethic, and wonderful sense of humor. After Dave unexpectedly and suddenly passed away, his family established the David Pywell Fund to support future BRC Youth Mission trips. Donations to the Youth Mission trips help replenish the Dave Pywell fund, which is used to provide financial aid to youth participants and fund project-related expenses.

If you would like to donate to the David Pywell Fund, please make your check payable to the Belmont Religious Council and send to:

Thank you.