Hurricane Helene Relief (NC/TN)
Mission Trips

EM's Health & Safety Plan:

Staff Certification
All Summer Staff are certified in First Aid and CPR.

Medical Kits
Medical kits that include first-aid supplies for general accidents and ailments are provided for each site. In domestic locations like West Virginia, we ask that teams supply their own medications like Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Benadryl, and Imodium as they deem necessary.

Emergency Response Plan
Based on the severity of each emergency, EM has a plan for appropriate response.

If a team member becomes seriously ill, they will be taken to a local doctor to receive appropriate medical attention and medications. If they are a minor, their Team Leader along with our staff will accompany them to the clinic. If needed, their parents will be contacted. Their recovery will be carefully monitored by our staff.

If there is an accident that requires a doctor, but is not life-threatening and does not have the potential to cause permanent damage, Experience Mission staff will locate the Team Leader, contact parents or guardians (providing the injured is a minor), and provide safe but quick transportation to a local clinic.

In the event that an accident occurs which is life-threatening or has the potential for permanent damage, and local 911 services will be contacted immediately. The family will be contacted to assist in guidance for an appropriate response.

All medical care is the sole responsibility of the team member. Experience Mission requires every team member to be covered by domestic medical insurance and recommends that team members traveling abroad carry additional international travel insurance to cover any medical needs their domestic medical insurance may not cover.

Basic Trip Information

What is included in the cost of the trip?
Lodging, food, staffing, materials for projects and project planning are included in the cost of the trip. Transportation is not included. Meals will begin with dinner on Sunday evening and then will end Friday morning at breakfast. See "Upcoming Trip Dates" section below for available dates and per-person cost for each trip.

What age group can you accommodate for NC/TN Hurricane Relief Trips?
We can accommodate high school students and older. Middle schoolers are allowed on a case-by-case basis but this trip is geared towards older students & adults.

What seasons do you offer NC/TN Hurricane Relief Trips?
Mission trips for Hurricane Relief are available during the spring & summer. Fall trips are available for on a case-by-case basis for groups of 15 or more, email autumn@experiencemission.org for more details.

What is the sign-up deadline for this trip?
Trips are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. You need to register and pay a deposit to lock your space in. See "Upcoming Trip Dates" section below for available dates and per-person cost for each trip.

What is the sign-up deadline for this trip?
Trips are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. You need to register and pay a deposit to lock your space in. See "Upcoming Trip Dates" section below for available dates and per-person cost for each trip.

Will there be other groups serving with our group?
Most likely, yes. Our Hurricane Relief trips are open to multiple groups until the capacity is met. In general, we will keep your group together during the work projects.

What town will we be based in?
Experience Mission has two base locations for serving Hurricane Helene victims. Marion, NC & Greenville, TN/Hot Springs, NC. As teams sign up, we will filter teams to where the need is greatest. We will let you know which location you will serve a few months before your trip. If your team desires to have a specific community, please let us know!

I'm planning my trip. Where do I map to if I don't know my location?
All locations are within 1-2 hours of Hot Springs, NC. You can map to Hot Springs then plan for up to an additional 1-2 hours of drive time.

Lodging, Food & Packing

Where will we stay?
Teams will be housed in local church buildings or school facilities. You'll be sleeping on the floor, so you must bring your own sleeping mat, cot, or air mattress. Some cots and air mattresses may be available for use; we will keep you posted as those details are figured out.

Will we be able to shower?
Currently, many towns' sewer systems are unusable, so showers are up in the air. We will do our best to provide you with the most optimal situation to shower, but keep in mind you may need to have bucket showers or use a camping shower system, or take very quick showers if we have access to showers! We will let you know more as the trip gets closer.

What will meals look like?
Meals will be provided by Experience Mission staff for the duration of your trip. Meals begin with dinner on Sunday evening, concluding with breakfast on Friday. There will be a cold grab-and-go breakfast set out each morning that includes cereal, bagels, yogurt, fruit & more. You will pack your lunches at breakfast (cold cuts, PB&J, fruit, chips). Dinners will be a hot dinner when you arrive back from your projects.

Can you accommodate food restrictions?
Our mission trip food policy outlines what we can accommodate for dietary restrictions and more. Note: Each team leader should input specific details of your team's food restrictions in their MyMission Portal.

What should I pack for this trip?
A packing list will be available once you register for the trip. Generally, be prepared to bring along work clothes. All tools will be provided to you, but donations of additional tools are welcome!

Transportation

Is transportation provided?
No, you are responsible for all of your transportation to and from the location and throughout your week to and from work sites.

What airports are closest?
Charlotte, NC (CLT) - 2-4 hours travel to the site
Asheville, NC (AVL) - 1-2.5 hours travel to the site
Knoxville, TN (TYS) - 1-2.5 hours travel to the site

How far will we travel for projects?
Due to the mountainous terrain and rural nature of the area, teams should expect to drive 30-60 minutes from their lodging location to work sites each day. The communities we serve are spread throughout the region, and travel times are longer due to mountain roads.

When should we plan to arrive on the first day?
Check-in is between 3 and 5 PM on the first day of your selected trip. Our staff will be awaiting your arrival. You can expect dinner and an orientation meeting to get you ready for the week that evening as well.

Projects & Tools

What will volunteers do on a mission trip to Western North Carolina/Eastern Tennessee?
There will be a variety of skilled and non-skilled projects related to rebuilding. Your team may participate in anything from cleaning up debris to rebuilding whole houses from the bottom up. We ask that your team come ready to serve and jump in with whatever the present need is. Teams may be limited to the scope of the projects available based on whether or not team members come with specific skills.

Is it required to have construction skills to come help serve?
While not mandatory, having at least a few team members with construction skills is strongly recommended. Here's why:

• Skilled workers can tackle more complex projects
• They can guide and teach less experienced volunteers
• Teams without skilled workers may be limited to basic cleanup and simple repairs
• Having at least 1-2 experienced people significantly increases what your team can accomplish

Do we need to bring our own tools?
We provide all the necessary tools and equipment for projects. However, if team members have their own tools they're comfortable using, they're welcome to bring them. Please label personal tools clearly.

Will we work with children on Hurricane Relief mission trips?
At this time, we will not be doing children's ministry in our Hurricane Relief zones.

Spiritual Components

What can I expect for my group as far as spiritual growth?
Morning Quiet Time: Each morning, there is time set aside for devotions and quiet time. While we make the space for this time, it is up to the leaders to implement it with their groups. This is a valuable time and we strongly encourage all team members to spend it with God, journaling their thoughts and experiences as the days unfold. All team members will be provided a physical or printable devotional journal.

Evening Gathering: Our staff will lead a time of debriefing and a short devotional in the evening (what we call "Evening Gathering"). It is a simple time of debriefing and a short interactive devotional is given by EM field staff.

Worship: Our programming does not include musical worship as we can't guarantee that our field staff will have this ability. We love this element and hope that your team will bring this skill and share it with all of the groups!

Have more questions about Experience Mission trips? Check out our general FAQs, or call our support team at 888-475-6414.

Experience Mission has specific policies regarding team registration and withdrawal. Please refer to the document below for specifics.

View EM's Mission Trip Registration Policy

INDIVIDUALS

All volunteers on a week-long EM mission trip must be part of a team of at least six (6) people, with at least one team member age 21 or older to serve as the Team Leader. Not part of a group? All young adults ages 18-30 are eligible to apply for EM's IMMERSION program.