ALIQUIPPA MISSION TRIP

WHEN: 

July 21-24, 2022

First Friends Church 

July 28-31, 2022

RiverTree Christian Church 

Trips begin on a Thursday evening and conclude around 2 p.m. on Sunday, though groups can stay longer if they choose.

We would love to plan a trip that works for your church or organization! If your group is interested in scheduling with us, we would love to get to know you and discuss your availability for trips.

WHERE:   

Aliquippa is located in western Pennsylvania about 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. 

WHO:  

This trip is for everyone. Married, single, kids, students, whole families, whole small groups. This trip is a great way to interact across generations and experience serving  and mission together.  You can reserve spots for your whole church, or just your student ministry. 

Aliquippa is a small town located in western Pennsylvania. In 1905, the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company constructed a mill in Aliquippa causing the small town to grow and prosper. By the 1940’s, Aliquippa was a thriving community with around 30,000 people living in the city. 

When J & L Steel closed the mill in the 1980’s, Aliquippa suffered greatly. The poverty rate went up as employment went down. Today, the city has around 9,000 residents. This has left many of the businesses and residences abandoned. In Aliquippa, over 90% of the students in their schools are on subsidized lunches.

Aliquippa faces real difficulty, but Jesus is working through many people to show the city his love. 

Scott and Sue Branderhorst are local missionaries in Aliquippa. They are on the ground year round, so they know the area and the people and have established trust in Aliquippa. They connect us with people who have needs we can help with. 

We love working with Scott and Sue. Their love for people and sacrificial service is contagious. To find out more about Scott and Sue and the work they do in Aliquippa,  CLICK HERE. 

UNCOMMON GROUNDS CAFÉ 

Uncommon Grounds is a ministry hub in Aliquippa. The café is led by Herb Bailey and supported by Church Army.  We partner with Herb in a variety of ways and appreciate his passion for social justice, art, the dignity of all people, and motorcycles. 

We visit the café so our teams get a taste of the best chocolate milk on the planet and also get to rub shoulders with Herb and their team.

We camp out on 80 acres of private property that serves as a private park for your group just a short drive from Aliquippa. This property has two ponds, various hiking trails, a picnic pavilion, sitting areas, a volleyball court, and a bocce ball court. We swim and fish in the ponds, take walks, enjoy evening camp fires, and overall utilize this space to unwind and enjoy hanging out.

We stay in tents. Groups are encouraged to bring the tents they need to facilitate all group members. In the event you run into trouble securing enough tents, we have some available.

We have seen that folks who come on this trip experience a ton of spiritual growth in just a short amount of time. Each day, you and your team will get to experience healthy relationships in three ways:

1. UP - with our Heavenly Father while you pray and interact with God's Word.

2. IN - with each other while sitting around the camp fire, during meals, and while having all sorts of fun in the evening. 

3. OUT - with the people of Aliquippa as you serve throughout the day, both giving to them and receiving from them. 

 A combination of Up-In-Out relationships each day produces exponential growth. 

We spend time in the mornings doing simple projects that allow us to work side by side with those we are helping. Serving can be cleaning, painting, landscaping, light construction, or all of the above. We make sure that the work you do is equal to your group's skill level. 

In the afternoons, we set up shop in a local park and spend time caring about kids and their families by getting to know them and hearing their stories. We also do really fun activities with them including anything from face painting to pick up games of kickball and touch football. 

We do have a few foodies on our team who love good food, so we always eat yummy food with plenty of healthy options. 

We eat at our camp site in a picnic pavilion. The food is prepared daily by our RippleFX team. We  ask some folks to pitch in at each meal to make set-up and clean-up go quickly. If you have food allergies or special food needs in your group, please let us know so we can accommodate you. 

Current Pricing:

Groups of less than 30 people: $175/person

Groups of more than 30 people: $150/person

The cost includes all food, lodging, and construction supplies. Groups provide their own transportation for the trip, both to our lodging location and also to worksites each day. Groups are also asked to bring some simple things to do with kids; sidewalk chalk, bubbles, kickballs, or other simple games or crafts.

We are constantly reevaluating the financial aspects of our trip to make sure your group gets the best value possible. 

There are few things we do need you to bring:

1. A camp chair. We use these every night during our campfire times. 

2. Simple tools for working. Work gloves, garbage bags, maybe a rake per family, 2 paintbrushes per family and  maybe one person from your entire group can bring a tool box. 

3. Simple things for kids. Sidewalk chalk,  bubbles, a kickball, a jump rope or whatever you think would be fun to use in the park. 

4. Snacks to share. We have plenty of good food and even do smores at night, but there is something about having your own snacks that you like. We suggest bringing some and then having some to share with others. 

We still want to make it simple for your group; the less you have to pack, the better. For example, you can go fishing in one of the ponds where we camp if you'd like, but we have all the fishing gear and bait ready for you. No need to pack it. If there is anything you wonder if your group should bring, reach out to us and ask before your trip.

1. Toilets: There are portable toilets on the property as well as one flush toilet. 

2. Showers: We shower each afternoon at a local YMCA. Since the Y has many showers, the process goes very quickly. 

3. Storms: In the event of inclement weather, we have a church facility to stay in.  

 COVID-19 has been difficult for all of us to navigate in this recent season, so we want to do our best to ensure everyone has an amazing experience and also feels safe. 

ADVANTAGES - Our trips to Aliquippa do have some advantages built into them:

1. The lodging is in tents which are shared by family groups. Individuals that come can be in their own tent. This limits exposure.
2. Practically everything we do is outside.  We are outside for everything but travel, showers, and sleeping. This limits potential exposure.
3. Travel can be in family groups or pods. Travel during the trip to and from worksites can be grouped in families or pods to limit exposure.
When more summer trips approach, we can put other protocols in place as needed. Since we do not know what the status of COVID will be next July, we are hesitant to make a plan that will likely change, but we can tell you that we will be abiding with state requirements and mandates. If your group leader would like to discuss this, we would love to hear from you.