A group of 48 students from Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield, a 2013 graduate, campus ministers Sister Linda Mary DeLonais, OP, and Phil Seck and 10 adult chaperones from the Springfield area spent a week in June in Steubenville, Ohio on JOSHUA (Journeys of Service Helping Upper Appalachia).

"In four days, our SHG group worked on five different locations," says Seck. "They painted exteriors and interiors of homes, removed multiple layers of wallpaper, removed awnings, tore down a retaining wall and built a deck."

Urban Mission Ministries, Inc., an ecumenical Christian social service agency founded by the Steubenville United Methodist Church, developed JOSHUA as part of a need in the local area. Franciscan University of Steubenville is a partner in the program and provided free housing for mission work teams for the first seven years. Then in 1997 the Diocese of Steubenville and St. Anthony's Parish donated their convent to the Urban Mission to house volunteers.

This is the 14th year SHG has sent a group to the mission summer camp, "and the camp has grown so popular with our students, that when we announced it, it filled up within 24 hours," says Seck.

"As much negativity as you hear about young people, this is the best of what young people do. Some of them have never picked up a hammer, yet they are quick to catch on. They know to have a spotter when they are using a ladder," and other safety issues, he said.

JOSHUA is a "ministry first" experience. "Prayers and processing our experience on a daily basis is integral to the week," Sister Linda Mary wrote in the information sheet about the mission camp.

The cost is $425 per person, but once the $75 down payment has been made "we have been able to raise the remaining money through our M&M fund raiser at school and parish churches and our junior high dance," says Seck. "A student will give a little speech at Mass, explaining where the money will go. People were just unbelievably generous."

Chaperones are not expected to make out-of-pocket expenses. "Your gift of time and self are priceless contributions," Sister Linda Mary wrote.

Steubenville, once a prosperous working community, famous for its Steubenville glass manufactory and located within a reasonable drive of multiple steel mills, fell victim to an economic downturn at the end of the last century.

Has the Steubenville economy improved?

"Every year we come back, we see something a bit more improved. There is a sense of pride in the people," Seck says.