has anyone heard of this--funding raising for a trip (through a church)

[hereyago]

When my dd18 was younger, the church she attended did mission trips, that were actual mission trips. dd did this for a couple years during Spring break or summer, go to another part of the state. Help paint, do repairs to people's houses that were disabled or less fortunate. they would stay in the sister church(sleeping bags,etc) and help feed the homeless all during that week. To fund it, they would fund raise and if they didn't make enough, the parents would pitch in for those kids who wanted to go.

 

[luvsJack]

In high poverty areas, you don'T think for the funds it take to have people travel there and help for a week, that someone could be hired, helping that person as well, to do the same, if not more? Espeically when you start looking at the trips that cost thousands of dollars and go to impoverished nations where a few dollars a day is a decent wage?
Often you could either: bring in 20 low skill mission people for two weeks OR hire 20 likely better skilled (or at least will learn the trade and improve with continued time) locals for a year for the same money. Meanwhile, not continuing the "white saviour" narrative and helping the local economy by keeping 20 people employed, and yet people like to feel good about being a tourist (and maybe have an excuse to ask for funds from others) so the volunteer-tourism industry thrives (both religious based mission trips and otherwise)

I don't think you are truly understanding the purpose in these trips. First off, its not always as easy as you think to just get the money to the area and the money to get where its needed. Second, a lot of missions trips are done in partnership with an organization from the area that ASKS for manpower not just money. Manpower they are not able to get from the locals. The people that go on these trips provide both.

Our church goes to Haiti, The Dominican Republic and Southeast Asia. They have also been to countries in Africa. They bring in water filters as well as fresh water to people that have none. They build homes. They build medical clinics. Carpenters, electricians, plumbers go on these trips to oversee what the rest of the group is doing and that it is done right. Dr. and dentists go on this trips and offer their services where needed. At no point are they "feeling good out being a tourist" because they are not tourists.

Other trips are done at Christmas when the shoeboxes are given to the children. My sister and her dd went on one of these. They handed out the shoeboxes and had a full day of fun planned for the village they visited. The people truly appreciated what they did.

During the US trips, they work with a mission or other organization. They fill a need of manpower that the organization needs. Again, manpower that they haven't been able to get.

As for local areas, we do that too. Go to schools and volunteer to help the teachers. Give out backpacks full of school supplies to a classroom of kids that may not have these items. Set up food pantries and clothing/school uniform closets for parents.

These are the things my church does and I know my sister's does the same. As does both of my bils' churches (both are preachers) and several of the churches of my friends on FB.

If you have a problem with them spreading the word in these areas, maybe you could organize a group to do what is needed?

 

[ronandannette]

... Made me wake up and realize maybe there should be a local group that served these kids and also oddly enough maybe it was better it wasn't faith based. Mind you this location got its food from a government funded program and all the kids were free/reduced lunch kids. I feel like they could have been better served by having someone close who they could go to, someone there to help them with homework, teach them a career, show them their own worth, and give them a constant face. A new youth group every week talking to them about Jesus didn't do that.

Uh huh, sure - except that nobody like that seems to be stepping up, do they?

 

[wilkeliza]

Uh huh, sure - except that nobody like that seems to be stepping up, do they?

Like I said I imagine a local church could be providing a constant out reach instead of the distant ones that come in for a week. Again it wasn't an area lacking in resources or churches. I'm guessing there isn't a single church in all of the Dallas metro area that would have stepped up. This is what I mean you question the program and wonder why the local community isn't standing up and you get ridiculed instead of supported or given real answers.

 

[sam_gordon]

Uh huh, sure - except that nobody like that seems to be stepping up, do they?

Well, the counter argument is if the group from Topeka (for example) did their trips in Topeka, and the group from Anaheim stayed in Anaheim, they'd be able to use their money more efficiently. I say this as a parent who's daughter has gone on two mission trips to Jamaica, and multiple trips in the US. I know the Jamaica trips gave them one day on the beach (out of 7). I am appreciative of all those who donated through the various fundraisers they held.

I wonder if those who are so against church fundraising also feel school fundraising should be done away with and parents should pay for anything extra there.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Like I said I imagine a local church could be providing a constant out reach instead of the distant ones that come in for a week. Again it wasn't an area lacking in resources or churches. I'm guessing there isn't a single church in all of the Dallas metro area that would have stepped up. This is what I mean you question the program and wonder why the local community isn't standing up and you get ridiculed instead of supported or given real answers.

Probably the ideal setup would be some sort of permanent partnership between a church in a more affluent area & one in an area of need. The local church could have their finger on the pulse of the neighborhood so to speak while the out of town church could provide some things the local church cannot.

 

[wilkeliza]

Well, the counter argument is if the group from Topeka (for example) did their trips in Topeka, and the group from Anaheim stayed in Anaheim, they'd be able to use their money more efficiently. I say this as a parent who's daughter has gone on two mission trips to Jamaica, and multiple trips in the US. I know the Jamaica trips gave them one day on the beach (out of 7). I am appreciative of all those who donated through the various fundraisers they held.

I wonder if those who are so against church fundraising also feel school fundraising should be done away with and parents should pay for anything extra there.

I should clarify I'm not against the fundraising for these things. I was just questioning if there is really a need to travel to a community in a city that is pretty well off (i.e. my teenage trips to Dallas or the ones I see that come to NYC, or the group that went ot Orlando) when perhaps the local communities could be fundraising and helping more effectively.

Also I see a lot of churches/parishes being mentioned who do maintain a service and provided monetary assistance as well as frequent trips those seem to actually help communities as it is an ever evolving thing where they work with the local community on an on going basis not the oh we go the once a year and then forget about it type of trip. Those weren't what I was questioning earlier.

 

[arminnie]

I am not sure what defines a "mission trip". My church in California organized a group of adults to go to Guatemala to build a church. There were no fund raisers - people paid their own way. The people who went worked their tails off. They had extremely primitive accommodations.

A friend who is fluent in Spanish goes every summer with a group of medical professionals to provide services in Latin America. It is organized by a church. Everyone pays their own way. They provide very needed services, but they do not require anyone to accept any religious conversion. I think they do tremendous good.

I grew up in poverty. The church I grew up in is in a neighborhood that has even declined more than from when I was a child. They have partnered with a church from a more affluent area. They now offer medical, dental, vision and mental health clinics for free for those in the neighborhood. I guess you could call those professionals and volunteers who volunteer their services "mission workers". But I personally call them saints for the help they provide for some of the neediest in society.

 

[Westcoastwild]

Sure, you can always find a more efficient use of the funds, but the reality is those funds will probably never be raised without some sort of incentive.

I look at it like the situation a friend has at their Catholic Church. They fund raise for a TON of local projects & then have to fight with the STL Archdiocese because they want a cut of the fund raising. But, the thing is, the people aren't interested in raising money for the Archdiocese above & beyond the minimum required. They're only able to raise this money because it has a specific purpose that appeals to them.

Every year, when our local city does a fireworks show, some cranky old gal writes a letter to the editor stating that money used for the show would have been better used to help seniors on fixed incomes. Then the next week, someone from the fire department writes in to say the show was paid for with donations. Then the next week, crank writes back that even if it is donations, they could have used the $ to help Seniors on fixed incomes. But, the donations weren't random. They had a specific purpose. And if not for that purpose, there'd be no donations.

So, while I get where your criticism is aimed, we also have to accept the reality of the situation. Truly selfless donations are rare.

Right! Exactly. I would donate 10 bucks for the youth group to go to WYD. I would not donate 10 bucks for an undefined fund of the diocese.

And I wouldn't donate the following year if my money had gone towards something other than WYD (let's say the trip was cancelled and the church spent the money on new folding chairs for the community center. Because I would not have donated money for those folding chairs to begin with).

I sort of equate it to the football vs band issue. My band teacher was always complaining that the FB team got money she didn't. Well, the football team got money for uniforms because the coaches and the students made massive efforts to fundraise. The band did not. The band didn't solicit any of that money and the members were not required to donate their time and labor to those fundraisers. If you were part of the football team, you volunteered or you didn't play.

 

[ronandannette]

Like I said I imagine a local church could be providing a constant out reach instead of the distant ones that come in for a week. Again it wasn't an area lacking in resources or churches. I'm guessing there isn't a single church in all of the Dallas metro area that would have stepped up. This is what I mean you question the program and wonder why the local community isn't standing up and you get ridiculed instead of supported or given real answers.

You suggested someone other than church groups should be doing it. In general terms, that simply does not happen. That's what my response was intended to refer to.

 

[Westcoastwild]

I should clarify I'm not against the fundraising for these things. I was just questioning if there is really a need to travel to a community in a city that is pretty well off (i.e. my teenage trips to Dallas or the ones I see that come to NYC, or the group that went ot Orlando) when perhaps the local communities could be fundraising and helping more effectively.

Also I see a lot of churches/parishes being mentioned who do maintain a service and provided monetary assistance as well as frequent trips those seem to actually help communities as it is an ever evolving thing where they work with the local community on an on going basis not the oh we go the once a year and then forget about it type of trip. Those weren't what I was questioning earlier.

I guess I'm wondering how many places actually do one and done type of things.

Because our mission trips were to specific communities that the youth leaders or pastors had gone to considerable effort to establish a working relationship with: perhaps it was the presence of nuns or a former priest in common or relatives of church members. It was never like they just stuck a pin into a map.

 

[QueenIsabella]

You suggested someone other than church groups should be doing it. In general terms, that simply does not happen. That's what my response was intended to refer to.

Sometimes, it does! My DD's college (now alma mater, as of Saturday) does "Alternative Service Break". Students sign up to do a week of community service over their March break. They go all over the country, depending on their area of interest, and the destination has specific tasks ready for the group of students. For example, one year my DD drove to Detroit, where she helped paint a homeless shelter for LGBT teens. These trips are not religious, and students pay ~$300 or so, mostly for transportation costs. Added bonus, if the trip is over a certain length, they have to stop overnight somewhere for a break. Sometimes these stops are in a church or similar spot, but for the kids traveling south, the stop is...here! My DD volunteers us to house a couple dozen students overnight! Our location is good, we have a large house with a pool, and I'm Italian, so she knows I'll feed them well. It's actually a lot of fun, and the students are really sweet, very appreciative. I figure it's the least I can do, they're donating their time. As an interesting aside, a number of the students are foreign, and although they're very comfortable in the school environment, many have never been in a typical American home. So, I get asked lots of questions about my life, my family, and so forth.

So, I just wanted to let people know that there ARE volunteers who do this, outside of mission groups. The college kids don't ask for money, but do solicit donations of goods and services (like us offering up our home for a couple nights). They coordinate with their service destination, and typically go back year after year--different students, usually, but same destination.

 

[wilkeliza]

You suggested someone other than church groups should be doing it. In general terms, that simply does not happen. That's what my response was intended to refer to.

Yes that was apart of my rambling but not the only point. Most importantly would be local and then program not being so faith based. Again I'm only going off what I was apart of which was all preach preach preach and maybe play and hand out food.

 

[Dznypal]

update from friend

the trip is for fun---she said its safe since armed guards are all over since its "part of there culture" she has to wear skirts everyday since women arent to be seen in jeans--yet the guys can wear khati shorts--so shes already looking for skirts--the price is between 4 and 5 thousand she doenst know if that includes air since they talked about air separately which would add another 1200 to 1600 on top of the other cost

as a side note she should be more worried about her home life--they have 2 adult kids who are always in some sort of trouble--spend time in and out of jail for drugs--had there back door bashed cause her son sold drugs to an undercover cop took off running cop followed and busted the door in to arrest him--friend is yelling at the cop for arresting her son--even though he sold him drugs!!!!

theres 10 people living in there small 3 bedroom house--son his GF and their DD-----the daughter with her BF and their 3 kids plus friend and her DH

the sons GF is pregnant and due in July so that will be 11 people in that house--

there pretty strapped for money since her DH is on SS--friend still works full time and all those people in that house and no one helps them with anything--food ,cleaning --nothing---

a few months ago we were at the casino playing bingo and my DH won---we squirrel away money from that and other things for trips)

friend said that unless its a mission trip she wont be able to go anywhere--since then they were in Branson,,,Vegas in Aug and now this although this trip isnt until next Aug 2018

oh well now that I know the trip is for fun I really cant see a fundraiser to help pay for a vacation---

oh well if my family was in that type of state I sure wouldnt want to go to Africa or any other place until things would be under control

thats just me though

so thats the update

thanks for all the interesting points of view on this

 

[mom2rtk]

update from friend

the trip is for fun---she said its safe since armed guards are all over since its "part of there culture" she has to wear skirts everyday since women arent to be seen in jeans--yet the guys can wear khati shorts--so shes already looking for skirts--the price is between 4 and 5 thousand she doenst know if that includes air since they talked about air separately which would add another 1200 to 1600 on top of the other cost

as a side note she should be more worried about her home life--they have 2 adult kids who are always in some sort of trouble--spend time in and out of jail for drugs--had there back door bashed cause her son sold drugs to an undercover cop took off running cop followed and busted the door in to arrest him--friend is yelling at the cop for arresting her son--even though he sold him drugs!!!!

theres 10 people living in there small 3 bedroom house--son his GF and their DD-----the daughter with her BF and their 3 kids plus friend and her DH

the sons GF is pregnant and due in July so that will be 11 people in that house--

there pretty strapped for money since her DH is on SS--friend still works full time and all those people in that house and no one helps them with anything--food ,cleaning --nothing---

a few months ago we were at the casino playing bingo and my DH won---we squirrel away money from that and other things for trips)

friend said that unless its a mission trip she wont be able to go anywhere--since then they were in Branson,,,Vegas in Aug and now this although this trip isnt until next Aug 2018

oh well now that I know the trip is for fun I really cant see a fundraiser to help pay for a vacation---

oh well if my family was in that type of state I sure wouldnt want to go to Africa or any other place until things would be under control

thats just me though

so thats the update

thanks for all the interesting points of view on this

That's a lot of drama right there.

 

[luvsJack]

Sounds like she needs a trip away from that family!!

I don't know, if they car wash and bake sale and stuff that requires work on their part, I don't see an issue with raising money for the trip. But if it boils down to just outright asking for money for that kind of trip, I don't think I would be willing to give.