Meet Ashley

Happy May! Creators of Hope takes time this month to celebrate our amazing volunteers. Check out their experiences. Maybe they’ll inspire you to join us on an upcoming mission trip!

Photo of the 2016 mission trip volunteers.

Today we feature our volunteer Ashley, who joined us for our January mission trip and was a terrific member of the team.

Ashley is actually a second-generation Creators of Hope supporter. Her dad went on two of our earlier trips and shared his wonderful experiences with her. She also had the chance to see what mission trips are like when she took a separate trip to Springfield, Illinois. With all of that info to get her started, she couldn’t wait to join us this year.

One of her favorite parts of the mission trip was being part of the crew. Our team has members both from the US and Jamaica, and Ashley loved getting to meet and work side-by-side with so many energetic, devoted people, all working toward the goal of making families’ lives better. Taking part in a Creators of Hope mission trip lays the groundwork for friendships that last a lifetime.

Ashley also told us how special, and how important, it was to her to know she was making a difference for people who needed her help. How many times do we get the chance to give real, concrete, hands-on help to people who truly need it? The toughest part of the trip for her, she said, was “wishing we could’ve helped more people!” She talked about having a tough time leaving Jamaica, knowing that so many people still had very little, and needed support to help build better lives for themselves and their children. At the same time, she knew that she and the rest of the team had done so much to help Jamaica’s families, giving them a start and a resource they’d never had before.

When asked why she thought other people should consider joining a Creators of Hope mission trip, Ashley told us that her experience “was really eye-opening.” She stressed how powerful and moving it was to meet people who had so little, but still had so much happiness and love to share. It gave her a different perspective on what’s important, and showed her how strong and resilient love and happiness are, and how strong a foundation they can be in people’s lives.

​Using your time and talents to help people who need it. Meeting terrific friends. Getting a whole new view of what really matters in life. Doesn’t this sound like a great adventure? If Ashley’s experience inspires you, learn more about our mission and see how you can help out! ​