Bahamas
Youth Mission Trip
An audio recording of the June 17 information meeting is here
Packing list
Itinerary (coming soon)
June 24 - July 1, 2007
Our Work: Our team will be travelling to Grand Bahama Island to work for a week at Pinder's Point, a small village populated primarilly by families with very low incomes. While there, will be reparing hurricane-damaged homes and working to prepare houses for future storms. We'll also provide daily sports activities for local children.
Transportation: We will be flying from New York City airports to Freeport, Bahamas. As the planes flying into Freeport are relatively small, we will travel in five different groups. You will need a valid Passport to travel with us. If you do not have one, you should obtain one as soon as possible. More information about obtaining or renewing a passport can be found here. Your passport will be the only form of ID needed for this year's trip.
Lodging: We will stay at the Xanadu Beach Hotel, which is a ten-minute drive from the worksite. The drinking water at the hotel (and throughout Grand Bahama Island) is provided by a modern system and is perfectly safe for Americans to consume.
Food: Our meals will be prepared and served by Chef George Gardone of Cookin' Dinners at the Church of the Good Shepherd (Anglican) in Pinder's Point. This air-conditioned facility will be our worksite headquarters for the week, providing our group with a water source, kitchen, dining hall, meeting space, and restroom facilities.
Trip Leadership: The trip will be directed by Ken McGarry, the church's Director of Youth Ministries. This will be the seventh summer mission trip from Wilton led by Ken and the second to Pinder's Point. Volunteeritng adults from the church will provide leadership on the worksite and will serve as chaperones. There will be one adult for every five young people.
Eligibility: Children of church members who are going into the 9th grade are invited to join us as are children of non-members who are going into the 10th grade. All young people going into the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades, as well as those who have just graduated from high school, are welcome to participate.
Cost: The total cost for children of church members is $1190; the cost for non-members is $1390. All payments received will be reported on an annual church giving statement as tax-deductible donations to the church. You will recieve this statement even if you are not a member of the church. For more information about the deductibility of payments, click here.
Payments and Forms: Sign up for the trip by sending your initial payment to the church along with a signed Parental Permission Form and Covenant of Behavior Form. Checks should be made payable to Wilton Congregational Church and delivered to Ken McGarry, Wilton Congregational Church, 70 Ridgefield Road, Wilton, CT 06897.
- CURRENTLY DUE -- $250 (deliver with your Permission Form and Covenant of Behavior)
- March 31 -- $250
- April 28 -- $250
- May 26 -- $250
- June 16 -- Final payment: $190 for church members; $390 for non-members
Gift of Serivce Fundraiser: You can lower the amount that you will pay the church by participating in the Gift of Service, a program that allows you to work for people who make requests to the church for help (yard work, babysitting, computer help, etc.) in exchange for their contribution toward your trip cost. Requests for workers will be sent out via email. After you respond to the request, you will be connected directly with the person needing the help. After you provide the requested help, the donor will send a payment to the church. A Gift of Service Form should be given by the worker to the donor for them to send into the church along with their payment. You can also seek out your own opportunities to raise funds through the Gift of Service by contacting your neighbors and others and offering your services to them.
Sponsorship: A second way that you can raise funds to help cover your trip cost is by asking people to sponsor you. You can make requests of your family and friends to make contributions to the church (all of which are tax deductible) to help you pay for your trip expenses. Donations should be made payable to Wilton Congregational Church and sent to Ken McGarry, Wilton Congregational Church, 70 Ridgefield Road, Wilton, CT 06897, and should include your name in the memo line.
Group Fundraisers: We will have a couple of car washes and bake sales in the spring to raise funds for our mission expenses. These funds will help us to buy more building supplies and materials and thus to provide a better gift to our friends in Pinder's Point and will not lower your individual trip cost. Dates for these fundraisers will be posted soon.
Community Service Events: We will have a couple of opportunities for our team to serve others in need locally before we head to the Bahamas this summer. You should participate in these activities if possible. Event dates and information will be posted soon.
Health Care and Insurance: Should any of our participants require health care while on Grand Bahama Island, they will be taken to the government-run Memorial Rand Hospital in Freeport, which is a five-minute drive from either the hotel or the worksite. The hospital will not accept payments from your insurance company, so any charges will be paid for by the church. The church has an insurance policy that will reimburse us for up to $10,000 of medical care expenses per child. Your family will be liable for reimbursing the church for any expenses beyond $10,000. Please contact your health insurance provider to obtain confirmation that they will reimburse the church for expenses incurred by us while travelling in the Bahamas.
View pictures of Pinder's Point and Grand Bahama Island here
Additional information (itinerary, packing list, emergency contact information, requests for roommate selection, etc.) will be sent to participants and their parents via email and will also be posted on this page in the coming months.
Questions? If you have any questions about the trip, please contact Ken McGarry at the church (ken@wiltoncongregational.org or 203-762-5591 x12).