In the interest of public health and safety during the COVID-19 outbreak, we have made the decision to suspend our Volunteers in Mission (VIM) program for the 2021 season.
This means we will not host in-person mission teams this summer.
Please check back next winter to book your team’s 2022 mission experience.
One-of-a-kind Mission Experiences
Our group mission experiences are a combination of hands-on work, educational opportunities, and small-group learning for youth and adults based around issues of hunger, poverty, and food security. We welcome groups of all sizes and varieties including youth groups, adult teams, school groups, community groups, and families. We believe strongly in educating mission teams about the intersectionality between justice issues. Our mission experiences provide teams with the tools and means to make mission happen within their home communities.
THIS IS NOT POVERTY TOURISM.
Topics and activities may include:
Food security and food justice
Community gardens
Systemic issues of hunger and poverty
Mutuality in mission
Basic gardening skills
Seed saving
Shopping in a food pantry
How to shop with food stamps (SNAP)
What is the poverty line?
Race and poverty
Homelessness and working in a shelter
Advocacy
Food preservation
Composting
We offer a maximum of two days of programming per group, with programming available Monday-Saturday. We can accept groups with up to 20 participants.
Groups work from approximately 9am-4pm each day.
The cost is $15 per person per day paid to us, with an additional $15 a night per person paid to the church for lodging. These costs do not include the team's food, travel, or entertainment activities. Each team is responsible for providing its meals. Some groups choose to bring groceries and cook onsite, while others choose to eat at local restaurants.
We are able to arrange overnight accommodations for your group at a local church. The church will have:
• showers and bathrooms
• a kitchen with space for food storage and meal preparation
• separated sleeping spaces for setting up sleeping bags or air mattresses (no beds or cots available)
Please note, this is a sample itinerary meant to offer more insight into what your time with us will be like. It is not necessarily exactly what your mission experience will include.
United Methodist Ministries (the parent organization of The Big Garden) is an accredited Volunteers in Mission (VIM) site, and its staff is fully certified under the Safe Gatherings system.
To reserve your mission experience, or for questions, contact kwilwerding@biggarden.org. Applications are due by April 1, 2020.
The following forms must be completed and submitted by all confirmed teams. The mission team roster should be submitted no later than two weeks prior to your arrival. The remaining forms may be submitted upon arrival. Completed forms should be sent to the Big Garden c/o Kay Wilwerding.
Mission Team Roster
Team Leader Release Form
Adult Medical Release Form
Youth Medical Release Form
Participant Liability Release Form
Groups are required to purchase their own insurance for their mission trip. Your regular insurance may or may not cover offsite travel. Additional insurance may be purchased quite inexpensively through the Great Plains United Methodist Conference of the United Methodist Church, or your insurance provider. Click here for more information.