Mission Trip Inspires West Bloomfield Teen

West Bloomfield teen Samantha Fincannon came back from her first Orchard United Methodist Church mission trip last month a little wiser and a lot more inspired. 

"It was eye-opening," she said of the work on homes in Atlantic City, NJ that were damaged by Superstorm Sandy in October of 2012. "I worked really hard and got an understanding about how poor people can be." 

Fincannon, who will be a sophomore at West Bloomfield High School in the fall, is already a veteran volunteer, having working with Rebuilding Together Oakland County, which rehabs houses for homeowners in need. But her mission trip was an even greater challenge. 

The group of 32 youths and six adults from the Farmington Hills church worked with the Fuller Center for Housing organization in a neighborhood hard hit by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, said Rev. Suzanne Goodwin, who led the trip. 

"We do some really significant home rehab," she said, adding the young volunteers learned how to install flooring, hang drywall and do finish work, among other tasks. 

Fincannon said she worked in a home that had fresh drywall and the floors were already done in a material that could be removed, dried out and replaced in the event of another hurricane. Her group did painting and spackling holes in walls and "a lot of trim work". 

The accommodations were rough; everyone slept in cots at a church, where there were just two showers for about 20 girls, Fincannon said. They were able to enjoy some time at the beach and went canoeing one day. 

Goodwin said that's typical for the annual mission trip, which follows the church's focus on serving others. "We really believe that if you're going to say you're a person of faith, you have to be a person of a faith," she said. 

All of the students go through training sessions before the trip, where they learn from others who have had the experience what conditions are really like and why they still consider it fun. 

"When you get down to it, they realize there is something rewarding and that feels good about that sense of community and doing something for others," Goodwin said. 

Fincannon doesn't hesitate when asked whether she'll be part of next year's group, which will travel to another location. 

"Every year that I can, I will do it," she said. "It's tiring, but fun."

Learn more about Orchard United Methodist Church at orchardumc.org.