First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest High School Group to to Help Repair Homes, Rebuild Lives

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - May 22, 2014 - PRLog -- For many high schoolers, June holds the possibilities of summertime fun and adventures. But for Lake Forest High School senior Kate Whalley, June brings those and so much more.

That’s because First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest’s Work Trip week, held annually in early June, is “my favorite week of the year,” said Whalley, who has been going to Work Trip since her freshman year of high school.

During Work Trip, the group from First Presbyterian helps repair homes and works on various construction and community projects.

“From forming friendships with the homeowners, to seeing the beautiful before and after projects and the countless laughs with my fellow work trippers, Work Trip has left a lasting impression on me that I’ll have for the rest of my life,” she adds.

This year, Rev. Nick Redmond, associate pastor of Youth and Young Adult Faith Formation, 45 high school students and 15 advisors (a few of whom were prior Work Trip students) will be in Rocky Mount, Mo., from June 8 – 14. They will be staying in Wonderland Camp—a camp dedicated to providing a fun, educational camp experience for children, teenagers and adults who have physical and mental disabilities. This will be the eighth time since 1992 that Work Trip has visited Rocky Mount.

“What makes this destination unique is that we have the chance to work with the campers at Wonderland Camp in addition to the construction projects,” Rev. Redmond said. During prior trips to the area, Work Trip participants also helped build the camp’s chapel and assisted with other major building projects.

This year’s Work Trip students will have the opportunity to again help at the camp along with the projects in the town itself. These include helping put a new roof on a house, and repainting and repairing the interior and exterior of two other homes. First Presbyterian works with local and county government agencies to identify families in need of help and also buys all the supplies locally to help contribute to the local economy.

“Work Trip not only makes a tangible difference in peoples’ lives as we repair homes, but it also makes as big of an impact in the lives of everyone who goes,” explained Rev. Redmond. “We often go thinking we’re the ones who are giving to others, but more often it ends up that we receive so much more as we grow in faith and in community.”

This is the 39^th year of First Presbyterian’s Work Trip. Other places they have visited include Ocean Springs, Miss., to help with Hurricane Katrina rebuilding efforts, as well as communities in Georgia, Kentucky and Michigan.

About First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest

First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest strives to send people out into the world who live its core values of worshipping, learning, connecting, serving and inviting. Worship is at the heart of the organization and its mission outreach, study groups, faith formation programs and fellowship opportunities grow out of the desire to love and serve the Lord together. Since its founding in 1859, the church continues to reflect the goals of its forefathers—to live together as a community dedicated to Christian life and to betterment through education and benevolences—while growing with the needs of its congregation. For more information, visit its website at www.firstchurchlf.org.