Portland, Maine
Mission Trips

Each morning, there is time set aside for devotions and quiet time. Experience Mission has devotionals/journals that are available for purchase or teams can supply their own. This is a valuable time and we strongly encourage everyone to spend it with God journaling their thoughts and experiences as the days unfold.

Our staff will lead a time of debriefing and a short devotional in the evening (what we call "Evening Gathering") and it is always a great addition to have musical worship. Our programming does not include musical worship as we can't guarantee that our our staff will have this ability. Please let us know if you have anyone who sings or plays guitar on your trip so that we can help to coordinate the musical aspect of worship when able. If teams aren't able to help in the area of music, it may not be a part of the trip.

AVERAGE DAILE SCHEDULE
Day 1
3:00-6:00 pm Groups Arrive
5:00 - Leader's Meeting
6:00 - Dinner
7:00 - Orientation Meeting
7:45 - Team Time (a time for your group alone)
8:15 - Showers at YMCA
11:30 - Lights Out

Day 2-5
7:00 - Serving at Soup Kitchen for Some Teams
7:15 - Breakfast
7:45 - Devotions and Quiet Time
8:15 - Group Prayer
8:30 - 3:30 Ministry & Work Sites
5:00 - Leaders meeting
5:30 - Dinner
6:30 - Evening gathering (as a whole group)
7:15 - Team time
8:00 - Showers at YMCA
11:00 - Lights Out

Day 6
7:00 - Breakfast
7:30 - Cleanup/ Packing
9:00 - Pictures and Good-Byes

Lodging

Teams going to Portland will stay in a local church building. Your team will be sleeping on the floor of this church so team members should plan to bring a small air mattress (single bed air mattresses are best as space is limited) or a mat to sleep on. The temperatures can get cool in the evening so light bedding or a sleeping bag and a pillow are ideal.

Showers

Your team will be showering at the local YMCA in Portland. There are male and female locker rooms, however, team members should bring their bathing suits for modesty within their locker room. There will be a certain time dedicated to each evening to go and shower.

Bathrooms

There will be bathrooms in the place where you stay. Most work sites will have bathrooms. On the occasion that there are no facilities where you are working, teams will need to take breaks midday to use a public restroom.

Water

There is running water. Teams will have access to it where they are staying, and at most work sites. Teams should plan to bring refillable water bottles to stay hydrated at work sites.

Electricity

There is electricity in that will be available where teams stay as well as at most work sites.

Security

Southeast Maine, in general, is a safe area. The facilities where you stay will be locked throughout the night and Experience Mission Staff members will do a sweep to make sure the facilities are secure before retiring for the evening. You do see minor petty theft in the area. We recommend teams leaving all valuables (smartphones, computers, jewelry, etc) at home. In the case that a team does bring some valuables, the best way to keep them safe is to store them in their locked vehicle during the day.

Food

Your filling, healthy, tasty meals will be prepared by local workers and EM staff members. Some meals will be eaten with your team while others will be eaten with community members and refugees.

Transportation

Your team's transportation to, from and while in Southeast Maine is NOT covered. You will need your vehicles throughout the entire week to transport your team to various locations for work and ministry. While some service opportunities are very close by, your team will need to be prepared to drive up to 45 minutes each day. Please plan and budget for this accordingly.

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 international locations, we will also carry a Trauma Kit or First Responder Kit. In these remote locations we will have medications like Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Benadryl and Imodium on hand. We make these available to adult team leaders for their sole discretionary use with their team members. EM Staff will not dispense any medications. In our domestic and international locations, 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, emergency medical care will be secured and arraignments will be made if necessary, to transport the injured person to the United States as quickly as possible providing they are serving in one of our International locations. In our domestic locations, local 911 services will be contacted immediately. The family will be contacted immediately to assist in guidance for 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.

Wondering what all goes on during our Portland, Maine mission trips? You're not alone! Here's a list of frequently asked questions about this trip.

What age group can you accommodate in Portland, Maine?
Yes! This trip is open for jr. high teams as well as high school college, and adults. Here's a list of other options for trips for jr. high students as well.

How much do Portland mission trips cost?
See "Upcoming Trip Dates" section below for available dates and per-person cost for each trip. This includes all lodging, food, staffing, and trip-related expenses.

What seasons do you offer Portland mission trips?
Mission trips to Portland, Maine are available during the summer. Check out this list of all available spring break trips if you are looking for trips outside the summer months.

Do you offer spring break trips to Portland, Maine?
We do not offer regular spring mission trips in this community. Call 888-475-6414 to inquire about custom options, or check out our spring break trip options.

What will volunteers do on a mission trip to Portland, Maine?
Teams in Portland split their time between local ministries with a focus on building relationships. You can expect to work with children's outreach, homeless ministries, and help with minor home repairs and sorting projects.

What paperwork is required for this mission trip?
Each team member will need to fill out a team member registration form and liability waiver, and all adults are required to pass a background check. Your mission trip support representative will contact you if any other paperwork is required.

Where will my team stay in Portland?
Teams will stay in vacant classrooms at a local church. Plan on bringing air mattresses for added comfort. Teams will use showers at the YMCA and most meals and evening programming will be held at The Root Cellar.

Are meals provided during Portland, Maine mission trips?
Yes! Meals will be provided by Experience Mission staff for the duration of your trip. Our mission trip food policy outlines the details of what we can accommodate for dietary restrictions and more.

How does transportation work during Portland mission trips?
Transportation is entirely up to groups to arrange. We recommend 15 passenger vans and smaller. We don't recommend relying on buses as a mode of transportation for this trip.

When should I arrive?
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.

What should I pack for this trip?
A packing list will be available to you once you register for the trip.

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 registration and withdrawal. Please refer to the document below for specifics.

View Registration & Payment 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.