Alternative Spring Break Trip (March)
Scholarships available to defray the cost of this trip. Although on line it says there is a November 15 deadline and that is only for Christmas break trips, the generous donors have extended the fund for use during spring break service trips with a due date of Feb 15th. Click here for details.
Details about the Spring Break Service Trip: You have just made an excellent decision. This trip will be fun, educational (but not in a painful way!) and productive. You will offer a bit of manual labor, you will be well fed, you will laugh, you will see pretty mountain vistas, you might learn some new games (Wednesday night we will join the parish for their weekly "game night"!) and learn some new colloquialisms. The three campus minsters have worked hard to put together this trip, along with the indispensible help of Claudie, our host in Murphy. ITs the prayers of the Poor Clare nuns in Greenville, SC which has ensured the success of the planning of this trip and it is your enthusiasm, openness and flexibility that will make this trip such an awesome one. Congratulations, thank you and WELCOME!
Sleeping Arrangements We will be sleeping in a building called the "Glenmary House" which originally was the church building for the parish. They have bathrooms & sinks there. We will be sleeping on the floor. Bring a sleeping bag (plus an additional blanket if it is a cheap one). Bring a thermarest or some sort of pad to put under your sleeping bag (ask your friends, call up your University's outdoor equipment rental office. If you cannot track one down, contact me to help you locate one). On the property there is also the office for the OEO (Office for Economic Opportunity), our hosts for the week. There are not showers in this building, so we will be renting a motel room which is ("right out the back door"). We will use the showers there. Half the group will take showers at night and the other half of the group will take showers in the morning. You will want to pack towels and washcloths for yourself plus all of your toiletries.
Who is going on this trip?
Campus Ministers: Julie McElmurry (WFU), Gloria Schweizer (UNC-A), and Erin (App. State)
Getting to and from (Transportation)
A 15 passenger van will be departing Wake Forest University at 10:00am on Saturday, March 6th from Kitchin Residence Hall's Campus Ministry Offices (which face the tennis courts). Dress comfortably for the ride (about 4.5 hours total) and bring your pillow. We will stop at a fast food restaurant for lunch on that drive and at 6pm, we will enjoy a meal in Murphy together.
Chow Time (Thou shalt not starve on this trip)
Gloria is organizing, shopping for, coordinating and inventing all of our meals and snacks while we are in Murphy. Mornings we will have something simple (cereal, oatmeal, toast) using the Kitchen at Glenmary House. Lunches will consist of brown bagged lunches which we will make ourselves each morning and dinners will be a combination of food prepared by Gloria (and whoever among us wants to help out)and special meals given to us by the parishoners of the church. Together, we will clean up after meals. Do you have dietary restrictions/allergies? IF so, email me asap with that info so we can accomodate you accordingly (aren't we nice?!) Snacks will be available 24-7, provided kindly by the men and women of the parish.
Work
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Saturday, March 6th
Arrive in Murphy at the Glenmary House on the grounds of St. William Catholic Church by 6 p.m.
Mass at 6 p.m. (for those who arrive early and would like to attend)
Dinner at 7:00 p.m. – Gloria to prepare w/George and Claudie in attendance
Sunday, March 7th
Breakfast – On your own
Mass at 11 a.m.
Parishioners usually go to lunch at several local restaurants . . . you can follow them to one of these spots for lunch (if you choose) . . . would be dutch treat.
Afternoon – On Your Own . . . we will have information for you on local sites for you to plan an excursion.
Dinner – On your own
Monday, March 8th
Breakfast – OEO Staff will provide breakfast at the office at 9 a.m. We will provide an overview of the office, and the St. William's Men's Group will outline the work project for the next 3 days.
Work on the Bishop Begley Center/Kilgore House (depending on weather)
Lunch – 1:30 Sandwich and Salad provided by OEO
Work on the Bishop Begley Center/Kilgore House (depending on weather) – finish work at 4:30 to return to Glenmary for cleanup, etc. and be out of Glenmary by 5 p.m.
Dinner – On your own . . . cannot return to Glenmary House until 6 p.m.
Tuesday, March 9th
Breakfast – On your own
Work on the Bishop Begley Center/Kilgore House (depending on weather)
Lunch – 12 noon – Hotdog Cookout provided by St. William's Men's Group
Work on the Bishop Begley Center/Kilgore House (depending on weather)
Dinner – On your own (Possible Trip into Clay County – Part of OEO Service area)
Wednesday, March 10th
Breakfast – Pancake Breakfast provided by St. William's Men's Group
Work on the Bishop Begley Center/Kilgore House (depending on weather)
Lenten Luncheon – 12 noon at St. William (Ecumenical program in observance of Lent w/soup and sandwich lunch to follow)
Work on the Bishop Begley Center/Kilgore House (depending on weather)
Dinner – On Your Own
Game Night at St. William at 7 p.m. – snacks provided
Thursday, March 11h
Breakfast – Continental Breakfast provided by OEO
Depart for Graham County by 7:30 a.m.
Arrive at 8:30 at Hope for Families (Domestic Violence Shelter) Thrift Store for work projects
Lunch – 11 a.m. in Robbinsville
Arrive at Stecoah Valley Center (community center) at 12:30 for work projects
Break at 5 p.m. for special performance and visit the gift shop (wonderful place to shop for locally made, handcrafted items)
Dinner – Provided by Stecoah Valley Center
Return to Glenmary
http://www.stecoahvalleycenter.com/history.html
Social Life
Erin is planning our free time including our recreational activities on Sunday, March 8th. She is planning our evening reflections and is bringing rope so we can make "turk's head" bracelets, board games to play together and her own repertoir of salty tales from her life aboard a sailboat. :) Since wa are surrounded them, a hike on a trail might be in order, so be sure to pack appropriate clothing.
Cherokee
We will say goodbye to Murphy, NC at 10am (?) on Friday the 12th of March to head to Cherokee. Brandon Stephens has carved time out of his day to meet with us on Friday, March 12th. He will talk to us about the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians and will lead us on a van tour of Cherokee, NC. You will get a chance to ask him anything you'd like to know about the politics, social issues, etc. of life on the reservation. I (Julie) grew up right outside the reservation, so I am looking forward to this part of the trip!
*If you have any questions, please email me. *If you konw of someone who wants to join this trip, its not too late.
*What to pack?
Plan to wear layers so that as it is hotter or colder, you can be comfortable. This is my personal list, so check it out and it may or may not work for you: long johns socks for the week sneakers that i can get grubby (and subsequently wash when i get home) sweater longsleeve tshirt (2) tshirts (2) slippers sweatpants and sweatshirt for sleeping rain coat fleece vest camera phone charger no ipod leisure book (just in case!) pillow therma rest sleeping bag toiltrees towels (2-3) nice looking shirt for mass jeans journal and pen and a partridge in a pear tree. :) There are grocery stores, drug stores and a laundry mat nearby.
Road Trip!
Our home for the week, Glenmary HouseYou are Invited!
Who: This semester, students from around the Diocese of Charlotte will join together for a week of service and learning in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.
When: Saturday, March 6 - Saturday, March 13
St. Williams in MurphySat. 3/7: Drive to Murphy (each Campus Minister will coordinate transportation for their own students.)Sun. 3/8: Attend Mass at parish in Murphy, enjoy recreational activities in area
Mon. 3/9: volunteer work (tba)
Tues. 3/10: volunteer work
Walk the LabyrinthWeds. 3/11: volunteer work
Thurs: 3/12: volunteer work
Fri. 3/12: Visit Cherokee and learn about life there
Sat. 3/13: Visit Smoky Mountain Heritage Farm, a family-run farm in Alexander, NC
Where: Murphy, Cherokee and Alexander, NC (in the beautiful southern Appalachian mountains)What will we do there?
We are currently working out the details of what help is needed in Murphy. We will be volunteering through the Office for Economic Opportunity and the St. Williams Catholic Church. We will probably do some manual labor such as painting, making minor repairs or doing clean-up work around yards. We will probably meet many people in Murphy and we will spend time getting to know them and learning about the area.
- We will enjoy a games night with the parish
- We will enjoy homecooked meals and a comfortable place to stay
We will spend a day in Cherokee, NC learning about what life is like on the reservation and learning about the history and arts and crafts of the Cherokee people.
- We will meet an interesting fellow who works for the Tribe
- We will visit the Museum of the Cherokee Indian
Sign up!Why: This trip is not only the most affordable spring break option you have, but it will give you a once-in-a-lifetime experience of service and learning alongside male and female students from all over NC. If you want more information, please fill out the form below!Cost: Yet to be determined. Plan around $150 (cost will likely be lowered as we figure out our expenses in the next few weeks) per person for meals and lodging for the week.
Please pray for us as we put together this year's Spring Break Service Trip!