Volunteers in Mission Teams

 Sixteen volunteers from nine Western PA area churches went to Joplin, Missouri August 8 to help in tornado recovery, in a sense repaying the volunteers from Joplin's First United Methodist Church who were in Pittsburgh last summer volunteering with UM Church Union and Pittsburgh projects. The Western PA Volunteers in Mission team was organized by the Rev. Larry Homitsky, pastor of Calvary United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh and president of Church Union, and Dave Sevick, Calvary's mission chairperson. They hosted the Joplin team last summer. When the tornado devastated Jopline last Spring, Homitsky immediately contacted First church to see how their new friends were affected. He committed then to bring a mission team as soon as the area was ready to host recovery volunteers. See photos.