Episcopal groups have been instrumental in repairing the homes of Hurricane Katrina victims.
Since Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Coast oil spill, Episcopal churches across the United States have been involved in rebuilding the homes and lives of residents in Mississippi and Louisiana. Ongoing mission efforts are taking place in the Dioceses of Chicago, Colorado and Rhode Island. Other Gulf Coast mission opportunities can be explored by exploring the websites of Episcopal Relief and Development and Lutheran Episcopal Services in Mississippi.
The Diocese of Chicago
The Episcopal Diocese of Chicago has completed four mission trips to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and continues to organize relief efforts each summer. These trips, which are geared toward high school and college students, typically last one to two weeks and involve between 30 and 80 individuals. Activities performed include repairing and renovating houses, and require the use of tools as well as climbing and other intense physical work. The cost for participation is $550 per person, as of 2011, and must be raised primarily by the attendee. To register, go to the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago website and choose "Ministries/Programs," followed by "Youth Ministry" and "Mission Trips."
St. Luke's in Colorado
The Youth Group at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Fort Collins, Colorado sponsors a mission trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This trip, which focuses on post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding efforts as well as oil spill clean-up, is comprised primarily of students in the eighth to twelfth grades and accompanying adults. It occurs in partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. The trip also involves some recreational time, potentially including a trip to New Orleans.
Emmanuel Church in Rhode Island
Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Newport, Rhode Island counts a mission trip to New Orleans among its various outreach programs. This springtime trip, which includes three days of work with Habitat for Humanity and an additional two days of work with Hands On New Orleans, lasts for five days and costs $100 per person. Volunteers, who must be at least 16 years old, are accommodated at Hands On New Orleans.
Dioceses of Ohio and New York
The Episcopal Dioceses of Ohio and Western New York have been heavily involved in mission trips to Mississippi and Louisiana, leading Youth Groups and other volunteers in caring for disaster victims and their homes. The Diocese of Western New York has concentrated on helping the elderly, families with children and individuals with disabilities. Past trips have included adults as well as children as young as 12. The Diocese of Ohio has worked with Episcopal Relief and Development and The Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast in assisting local parishes with meeting residents' needs.
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