Update 2: 2026 youth mission trip
Andrew, Henry and Libsy work on a ramp.
It was an early wake up call Wednesday, and a quick breakfast. On the third Wednesday of the month, residents of Hurley and the greater Buchanan County area arrive early to wait in line for boxes of food at the community center. Some are picking up their own box; others pick up boxes for friends or neighbors who cannot make it out on their own. We switched teams up a bit and reshuffled into three crews for the work day.
Ryan, Lauralee, Beckett, Alex, Wyatt and Margy at the ramp they are building at Phil’s house.
Crew #1 (James, Carson, Ava, Easton, Charlie and Father Ben) — This crew was in charge of the food distribution and helped distribute over 200 boxes of food. Cars began lining up at 7 a.m.; distribution activities continued until noon. Hurley High School is closing this summer (and one of five area schools consolidating into one school in nearby Poplar Gap) — after lunch, the crew went to pick up a few desks and tables to bring back to the Hurley Community Development Center before the building is demolished.
Crew #2 (Andrew, Henry, Libsy, Baxter, Chris and Jen) — This group had an opportunity to meet Charlie and Phyllis today. They completed the ramp started yesterday and were treated to a delicious lunch made by Phyllis - taco soup, sandwiches, and carrot cake. After lunch, the team dismantled an old deck. It was a joy to help Charlie and Phyllis have a more accessible home.
Crew #3 (Alex, Lauralee, Beckett, Wyatt, Margy and Ryan) — This group went to Phil’s house to finish up the temporary ramp that was started yesterday. They wrapped up by lunch, went back to the Center to help with breakdown after the morning’s food distribution, then went to begin prep on a painting project at the home of Tina and Joe. Tina’s dad, Barrett, is a longtime volunteer with the center and joined us on site. We’ll be back here Thursday to finish scraping and painting.
Every crew found themselves at Dollar General after wrapping up to get snacks and drinks before a fried chicken dinner at the center with volunteers and friends from the Hurley community. Students meet in separate teams to debrief their days and talk about their highs and lows, and pray for their time together. We’re looking forward to painting at Tina’s and a new project (or two!) on the docket for Thursday.
About the trip
Thirteen young people and five adults from Saint James’ are in Hurley, Virginia, from Monday, June 15, to Saturday, June 20, 2026, on a volunteer trip to support the work of Hurley Community Development, a nonprofit dedicated to helping the residents of this isolated and economically disadvantaged community stay in their homes.
