Hands for Hope goes on mission trip

Delta Hands for Hope is taking 12 high school youth leaders to Greenwood, South Carolina on July 22 to partner with Greenwood First Baptist Church for their second summer mission trip.

The mission trip is for high students who participate in the DHH Leadership Program, and they must have at least 50 volunteer hours to attend the mission trip.

DHH is a non-profit organization based in Shaw whose mission is to strengthen and enhance local community assets related to education, spiritual development, health, and recreation of school aged children in the Mississippi Delta and surrounding areas.

Executive director of DHH, Lane Riley said this is their second mission trip, and she is excited they are going to her hometown of Greenwood to give back.

Riley said, “We are expecting for the kids to learn how to volunteer in another community and to explore different ways to serve.”

During their mission trip, the youth leaders will work with local partner agencies of Greenwood First Baptist Church including Connie Maxwell Children’s Home, Pathway House, and the Greater Greenwood United Community Soup Kitchen.

“We have a lot of churches and organizations that come and volunteer with us in Shaw, and this kind of gives us a way to give back to another community,” said Riley.

Several families in Greenwood will host the youth group. Along with volunteering in the Greenwood community, the youth group will also have some fun on their own such as having dinner and meeting new friends, swimming, and boating at Lake Greenwood.

They will also tour Lander University where Riley graduated. Riley said the youth group from Greenwood First Baptist Church came to Shaw last year for a mission trip, and DHH decided to go there for a mission trip.

“We believe in reciprocal relationships,” she said, adding, “The Greenwood youth leaders helped with our kids camp here in Shaw, and they did some renovation projects.”

“I was so excited to welcome the youth group I grew up in to Shaw last year, and I’m just excited to bringing my youth leaders to Greenwood to see where I grew up and went to school,” said Riley.

Founder of DHH, Jason Coker said he is also excited that the youth leaders get to travel and volunteer in another state.

“The thing that makes these mission trips important is the fact that our kids understand themselves as agents of transformations in their faith,” he said.

Many youth groups from partner organizations have come to Shaw to give back by volunteering their time in the community.

DHH is in the process of fundraising $1600 for the 12 youth leaders who will attend the mission trip.

“When the youth go on these mission trips, they come back inspired to do the same for their community of Shaw, and they also get to travel, which is something they do not do a lot,” Coker said.

Coker added, “This is a dignity given event. They are not there to only receive, but they are also there to give.”

For more information about the mission dhh754@gmail.com or go to www.givegab.com. trip, contact