"I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me." Matthew 25:35

The Program

We live on a planet plagued by starvation and malnutrition, loneliness, homelessness, unemployment, illiteracy and a variety of other symptoms caused by poverty and indifference.

The Iona in Mission program is a unique learning experience that offers us the opportunity to serve, for a short time, those most in need, to engross ourselves in a radically different culture, and learn the tools of which to create more just situations. An Iona in Mission trip can take place over a weekend a school break or at the end of the semester. By design, Iona in Mission trips bring students into a different place and culture so that they may be introduced to the causes, effects and faces of violence, poverty and racial injustice in order to participate in the work of justice and peace making.

Benefits of Serving Through Iona In Mission

The Iona in Mission programs offer students an academic and experiential exploration into a different way of life, and into a culture that may not otherwise be accessible. The experience of living in a village in Africa is radically different from learning about cultural diversity in a classroom. Iona in Mission offers students the opportunity to integrate academia with real life situations.

Travel offers us two distinct benefits. First, it makes human our images of people in other places, thus inspiring us to respond to the needs of those who once seemed remote and different. Second, we begin to see ourselves in a very different way, expanding our definitions of who we are.

Exposure to multi-cultural communities, hands-on experience, opportunity to live simply, and to study, reflect and pray in a radically different context renews a commitment to education and to professional goals with a deepened awareness of the rewards of justice work, and a renewed insight into our global community. These are just a few of the personal benefits of our trips.

The Process - Steps to Joining a Mission

Interest:

If you are interested in any Iona in Mission programs, see or email Stephen Hill in the Office of Mission and Ministry on the second floor in LaPenta Student Union or call at (914) 633-2340.

Sign Up:

To apply, please complete the Iona in Mission application and drop it off at the Office of Mission and Ministry office, Robert V. LaPenta 217 or contact Stephen Hill.

Fundraising:

After you're signed up, the fundraising process begins. All students are encouraged to participate in the fundraising effort. Oftentimes, the fundraising effort brings together the group in a formal way and allows bonds to begin, the benefits of which are gained on the trip itself.

Cost:

The price for each Iona in Mission program can range from $150 to $2,500. We at the Office of Mission and Ministry want to reduce the burden of payment as much as possible, which is why fundraising is an important part of the program. It is possible to raise enough funds to cover the entire cost of the program, and has been done by a number of students in years past.

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Student Leader Program

Student leaders are participants from past trips who have demonstrated an ability to be conscientious and compassionate. They are responsible for working with the Office of Mission and Ministry Coordinator to organize and plan the trip; they are hired to help coordinate fundraising, to recruit and prepare the students and to be trusted liaisons and advocates for the students before, during and after the program. A training session is held to prepare student leaders.

In addition to the extraordinary experience being a student leadr gives students, there is also financial compensation. Leaders will receive a discount of 25% - 50% of the cost of the trip.

To apply to be a student leader, fill out an application form in the Office of Mission and Ministry in LaPenta Student Union and call (914) 633-2340 to schedule an interview.