Habitat for Humanity
Mission Work in our Community
Responding to the needs right in our own back yard
Dates:
Wednesday October 25 – Saturday, October 28
Wednesday November 1 – Saturday, November 4
Time: 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Planned Site: Property on Freemont Street
Contact: Julia Witmer Gallagher; juliawgallagher@gmail.com | 609 -937-2494
Ivelisse and her daughter hoping to move in prior to Thanksgiving!
Planned Needs: Our missioners will be helping to complete the build on Fremont Street this fall ( which we worked on in
Kenya on the day she was matched to the St. Joseph Street house.
the Spring) to enable Ivelisse and her daughter to move in prior to Thanksgiving! We will also be preparing to move forward with our next build which is St. Joseph Street (which we also did initial work on in the Spring) for Kenya who has been recently matched as a homebuyer to the St. Joseph Street home.
We work with volunteers of ALL SKILL LEVELS (No prior construction experience necessary all the way up to those who work in the trade). Training provided, including safety. We look to fill 7 slots daily Below is the signup link:
Click here to download the signup instructions.
Click here to register your spot on the Habitat for Humanity website.
View the photos from the team’s work in May! Click a photo to access the gallery.
Archived mission trips
Click the titles below to read more.
About the 2022 Mission Trip
The Saint James mission team has a new exciting opportunity to transform a home for Habitat For Humanity in our downtown Lancaster neighborhood! No experience is necessary and training is provided onsite.
Work can range from demolition, yard work, and preparing the home for remodeling to finishing work such as caulking, painting, appliance installation and cleaning. All volunteers are welcome—regardless of experience. If this is your first time volunteering with Habitat, you will need to take a short online safety course prior to signing up for your dates. There are 10 volunteer slots available for each day so good fun and community will abound. Please pack a lunch and bring plenty of water to stay hydrated on the job!
View the team and their work at 530 Howard Street in downtown Lancaster.
Click on any image below to play the slide show.
About the 2020 Mission Trip
The 2020 mission trip was on February 16 – 22, 2020 in San Pablo Episcopal Mission, Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Missioners stayed in the Catholic Retreat Center in Arecibo and food was provided by the wonderful parishioners at San Pablo and the Retreat Center
The missioners were from Saint James, St. Thomas, Lancaster; St. John’s, Lancaster; St. Luke’s, Mount Joy; Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania; Zion Lutheran, Manheim; and Community of Francis and Clare. Their goal was to work with the Episcopal Diocese of Puerto Rico to determine projects and scope of work. Missioners paid their own airfare to and from Puerto Rico and other incidentals. Fundraising helped pay for supplies for job sites, lodging, food and transportation while there.
Learn more about our efforts to help our friends in Acerbo, Puerto Rico
2019 Mission Trip Summary
Click here to view photos of the 2019 trip.
When: February 24-March 2, 2019
Where: Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Who: In all—19 people from the following organizations: Saint James, St. John’s-Lancaster, St. Thomas-Lancaster, Zion Lutheran-Manheim and the Community of Francis and Clare.
Work: The Mission Trip Team worked on three homes. Two homes were in Arecibo and one home near San Pedro, about 20 minutes south of Arecibo. All three homes needed varying levels of roof repairs as a result of damage sustained from Hurricane Maria in 2017. There was also some interior painting, removal of debris and cleaning tasks involved. Two of the homes had partial electrical service while the home near San Pedro had no electrical service which required the use of a generator to run power tools. Many of the supplies used were provided by Episcopal Relief and Development and Diocese of Puerto Rico.
The fourth project was the rebuilding of the gazebo next to San Pablo Church, partially destroyed by Hurricane Maria. All funds used to repair the gazebo were provided by funds raised to support the Mission Trip. The gazebo is used for parish events and Sunday school classes and was a huge boost to the morale of the parish to see it being repaired.
Each day started at the Retreat Center with a time of meditation and breakfast with Morning Prayer and discussion following. The day continued with the work assignments until noon, when lunch was served at San Pablo’s. After lunch, the missioners returned to work until dinner where everyone returned to San Pablo’s. After dinner, the missioners had Evening Prayer and reflection on the day that just passed, then back to the Retreat Center for showers and rest. On Wednesday morning, the people at San Pablo’s hosted a moving Eucharist service for the missioners. During the last full day of the Mission Trip, missioners were given a cultural tour of parts of Puerto Rico and Br. David Rutledge participated in a panel discussion for the Board Members of Episcopal Relief and Development.
The Mission Trip was funded entirely by the generous donations and support from the Lancaster community including two fundraising events. Missioners were responsible for paying their own transportation costs to and from Puerto Rico and some meals. All other expenses including transportation while on Puerto Rico, food (most meals provided by the parishioners of Arecibo’s San Pablo Episcopal Church), lodging (at the Arecibo Catholic Retreat Center) and supplies for the reconstruction of the gazebo were paid for by funds raised for the Mission Trip.
The Mission Trip was very moving and transformative as the missioners got to experience the culture and deepen relationships with the good people of San Pablo’s parish as well as the Diocese of Puerto Rico.
2018 Mission Trip Summary
On August 12-18, 2018, twelve missioners from various churches and organizations in Lancaster and beyond, went to Puerto Rico on a common purpose; to assist with clean up and repairs following the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
Missioners included members of Saint James in Lancaster, Saint John’s in Lancaster, Zion Lutheran in Manheim, Lancaster County Council of Churches, Order of Saint Francis (St Louis, Missouri & New Orleans) and Society of Saint Francis in San Francisco. Two Brothers from OSF arrived 2 days early to help make arrangements with the Episcopal Diocese of Puerto Rico and the people and clergy at Misión San Pablo Apostol in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, where the group was to be based. The rest of the group arrived in San Juan on Sunday, August 12 to prepare for the drive to Arecibo approximately 55 miles west of San Juan.
The good people at San Pablo’s provided lunch and dinner for the group each day, and on Wednesday, the Feast Day of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we had a special Eucharist and time of sharing. Each day began with Morning Prayer and ended with Evening Prayer led by the Brothers of SSF. The job site, about a 10 minute drive, was the home of an elderly couple recommended by the clergy at San Pablo’s.
The work included removing debris from the roof and sealing it, cleaning the property of debris, assisting in the installation of electric service, purchasing and installing a new gas stove, cleaning and painting several rooms in the house, repairing the sink, toilet and shower in the bathroom and installing a cinder block barrier on the second floor porch.
The missioners had two persons who interpreted Spanish to English at the church and the job site. By the end of the week, everyone was exhausted from the hard, physical work, but also excited to have had a chance to share in the lives of two elderly people by getting to know them and making their living conditions a little better.
The group also developed new relationships with the diocesan staff and bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Puerto Rico. Many thanks for the prayers offered for the Mission Trip and for the financial support given. Each member of the Mission Trip team was responsible for paying their airfare. The funds raised by the Fiesta dinner in May and other donations were used for transportation during the week, lodging and supplies and materials.
Transform Jersey Shore Area
For the past three years, volunteers from Saint James have traveled northwest to the borough of Jersey Shore, in Lycoming County. Once an industrial boom-town, the area has endured economic difficulties made worse by massive industrial accidents and flooding from Hurricane Agnes in 1972.
Transform Jersey Shore Area (TJSA) is a hometown mission trip created by Trinity Episcopal Church in Jersey Shore, PA. This outreach program is bolstered by an ecumenical body of believers from area churches and organizations whose goal is to show and share the love of Christ—one community, one neighborhood, one life at a time. By forming community partnerships and relationships with their neighbors, they are working together to repair and renew homes and transform their town.
Saint James Plays a Role in this Endeavor
In August of 2015, 2016 and 2017, volunteers from Saint James traveled to Jersey Shore and contributed their time, skills, gifts and talents to neighborhoods in need.
In 2017, jobs included scraping and painting, installing insulation and siding, replacing a hot water heater and a kitchen faucet, installing two sets of steps and a deck and repairing a shingle roof.
New homebuyer Shamaica and her three children have been matched to 723 South Lime Street in Lancaster. When she applied to Habitat’s First Time Homebuyer program, Shamaica explained that her family was living in an apartment with a mold problem that was making her daughters sick. She already has over 110 hours of sweat equity invested in her “new” home and is looking forward to working alongside our volunteers as renovation on the home gets underway.
For more information about the Saint James team, email Julia Witmer Gallagher.
If you have any trouble registering online, please contact the Saint James office at 717-397-4858.
Thank you to all who participated in the Give 20 at Iron Hill on December 2.
Taste of Puerto Rico Fundraiser
Sunday January 19, 2020
On Sunday, January 19, we will gather for a festive celebration of Puerto Rican food and fellowship at the charming Old San Juan Restaurant & Rum Bar in downtown Lancaster! Proceeds from this event will help fund the next mission trip to Puerto Rico scheduled for February 16 – 22, 2020.
Last year’s event was so popular we’ve added an additional seating! We’ve got the whole place to ourselves and three seatings to choose from (1:00, 4:00 and 7:00 PM). There are only 180 seats available for the day and this event will be broadly promoted in multiple congregations and the community at large, so reserve your table now!
Feast on island delicacies such as pollo guisado (stewed chicken), pernil (roasted pork), rice and beans, vegetarian delight, plátanos maduros (fried sweet plantains) and beef empanadas, all served buffet-style so you can sample it all!
Fountain sodas, coffee and tea and your gratuity are included with your ticket. At the restaurant’s Rum Bar, you can purchase a variety of wine, beer and cocktails, including Old San Juan’s own Caribbean specialty drinks. Dessert (did someone say flan?) is also available for an additional price.
Old San Juan is located in the Hager Arcade adjacent to Central Market. There is plenty of street parking and fee lots right around the restaurant.
We are now receiving donations for our return mission trip in February of 2019
Funds collected will be used to pay for transportation while there, some building materials and other expenses during the course of the week.
Make a donation