Student volunteers took time out of their summer to serve less fortunate communities in Preston County, West Virginia.

An enriching experience for Patriots, the Appalachia Mission trip was a huge success this past summer. With only six to seven volunteers most previous years, the 2024 Appalachia Mission trip hosted 22 student volunteers.

The Appalachia Mission trip is a yearly six-day retreat in the small, underdeveloped towns of Terra Alta and Kingwood in Preston County, WV. The goal of this trip is to engage with the less fortunate people of these towns and work to improve their ways of life.

The people of Preston experienced a detrimental flood 35 years ago. The effects are still present today as the small towns take more of a homesteading and self-sustained lifestyle.

Associate Campus Minister Katie Smith said, “The culture is very different in small-town West Virginia. There aren’t as many quality job opportunities as there are here.”

The lack of quality jobs has led to low income and poverty in the area.

Volunteering on this mission trip was an amazing way to expose JC students to a diverse culture and allow Patriots to contribute to the less fortunate. Volunteers spent their time engaging in various home repair projects ranging from painting and gardening to roofing houses.

Students may have felt incapable of doing various forms of construction tasks; however, the Appalachia Mission trip is a learning experience for volunteers of all skill levels.

A day on the Appalachia Mission trip consisted of early morning workdays. Volunteers left camp and headed to their project site at around 7:30 am. Everyone was assigned to a different site to work on separate projects with people from various organizations.

Volunteers worked for a few hours in the morning, had a short lunch break to eat and socialize with the residents, and then worked for a few more hours before returning to camp. When the student volunteers got back to camp, the evening was spent doing team bonding activities.

“We connect most with our volunteers on the drive home. Everyone shares their stories of their projects, people they met, and memories they made during the week,” said Ms. Smith.

The next Appalachia Mission trip will take place in June 2025. Students who are interested in attending the trip should contact Ms. Smith or English Teacher Shannon Olsen for further information.