Southwest Michigan’s Benton Harbor offers miles of scenic shoreline for fishing and boating along Lake Michigan and the St. Joseph River. Benton Harbor’s once booming economy has declined over the past half-century, but several revitalization projects are underway to attract new businesses and residents. Your group will partner with local organizations to minister to the city’s children and elderly, participate in a YouthWorks Kids Club and paint homes.

Demographics

A diverse community of just over 11,000 residents, Benton Harbor today is much different than it was during its early settlement. In 1862, a canal opened between the St. Joseph River and what is now Benton Harbor, making the town a prosperous lake port. By the 1870s, ships were loading more than 300,000 packages of fruit per year—making it the largest non-citrus fruit market in the world. The boom years continued through the first several decades of the 20th century, but in the 1960s, the town began to decline, as increasing inner-city struggles became a concern for industries and residents. Today, with few job opportunities available, nearly 40 percent of families in the town live in poverty, including over half of the town’s children. This is a stark contrast to its sister city across the river, St. Joseph, where less than five percent of families live in poverty. During the past several years, the government has offered an incentive program to lure businesses back to Benton Harbor. Your ministry will help revitalize this town and encourage its struggling residents.

About the Ministry

Participants serve in a variety of ways during a YouthWorks mission trip. Students may spend all week at one ministry or switch between ministries during the week. Ministries that your students may participate in are Kids Club, Work Projects and partnering with local organizations. Kids Club is a hands-on program led by your youth offering high-energy games, crafts, skits, songs and interactive lessons all designed to help kids learn about Jesus. Whether we’re painting houses, performing minor home repair, cleaning up debris, volunteering in community gardens or other projects in the community, the projects students work on will serve as our way of blessing people in need. Our goal is to partner with local organizations and programs that seek to address the very basic needs of residents. Students may serve at places like: Children’s Programs, Elderly Centers, Soup Kitchens/Homeless Shelters and Thrift Stores. We cannot confirm until all groups arrive exactly what ministries your students will be a part of during the week. We ask that you come with a willing and flexible spirit!

Activities

Evening activities during a YouthWorks week are designed to give participants insight into the lives of local residents and the culture of the area. A list of evening/cultural activities we have done in the past: go on a scavenger hunt in St. Joseph; educational evening with a community friend; attend a local church service; and grill out at Lark’s Bar-B-Q. These are examples of what your group might partake in during your mission week. These examples are subject to change due to weather or availability. In case of change, suitable substitutes will be provided. We try to arrange for free evening activities, but from time to time, an additional cost may be required for an activity. Please plan to bring an additional $10 per person to cover any extra costs. We will confirm the details closer to your trip.

Ministry Week

Kids Club (begins late June), Work Projects, and Local Ministries.

Mileage

Benton Harbor is just off I-94, 100 miles east of Chicago and 180 miles west of Detroit.

Transportation & Travel

Each group is responsible for transportation to and from the site, and during the mission week. This is a bus accessible site. A bus is defined as any vehicle that is larger than a standard 15-passenger van. If you would like to bring a vehicle in this category, you will need to contact the Service Center to discuss the additional requirements due to the size of your group.

Additional Information

If you would like more information on what there is to do in Benton Harbor and surrounding areas before or after your trip, call the Michigan Travel Bureau at 1.800.543.2937, or check out the following Web site at: www.harborcountry.com.