Home Base
This year’s homebase is Mt. St. Francis Center for Spirituality located at 101 St. Anthony Dr. / Mt. St. Francis, IN. Youth and adults will sleep in bunk-style dormitories with shared restroom facilities. The building is air-conditioned and has communal bathrooms.

Showering Facilities
In accordance with the Bishops Charter for the Protection of Children, separate showers are provided for teens and adults. The showers will be available each afternoon during free time. Bathrooms are located in the hallway of the dormitories and each shower/toilet has a private stall. Participants are required to shower daily.

Meals and Snacks
The menu offered at Faith In Action is based on a well-balanced diet that will provide all the nutritional and calorie needs.

• Breakfast includes juice, cereal, muffins, bagels, danishes, fruit, yogurt, and milk, as well as hot food items (pancakes, egg casseroles, etc.) prepared and served by the chef and staff of Mt. St. Francis.

• Daily lunch at worksites includes a peanut butter or a cold cut sandwich, various prepackaged snacks, and a drink.

• Dinner meals will be prepared and served by the chef and staff of Mt. St. Francis.

All menus accommodate youth and adults with common food allergies and sensitivities (vegetarian, gluten allergy, nut allergy). Make sure you identify your allergies and dietary needs in all registration paperwork and contact Michelle with information about the specific needs.

Worksites
Catalyst Catholic is partnering with great community organizations that provide ongoing support to the residents we will serve. All of our service sites will be within the New Albany Deanery - Clark, Floyd and Harrison counties in Indiana. This will allow us to drive home the idea that we are called to serve our neighbors in our neighborhood. This also allows our young people to connect with philanthropic organizations in our community that do good works 365 days a year!

Small Groups
Small groups of five youth and two adults will be sent out to worksites in the community. Members of the group will be from all parishes in the New Albany Deanery and assigned based on age and interests rather than by the parish to which the youth belongs. Youth and adults will be assigned meaningful service work and have opportunities to pray and grow into a small community with one another. Only adults 25 years of age or older will be permitted to drive vehicles on behalf of Faith In Action, and all adults over 18 will participate in training, including Safe Parish and background checks.

Disconnect
While Mt. St. Francis is relatively close to home, we need your help as we help our youth disconnect from the outside world and focus in on the important service work they are doing while on Faith In Action. Think of the week as similar to a retreat or a summer camp. For this reason:

• youth are asked to commit to the entirety of the mission trip experience. Youth and adults cannot arrive late or leave the site early.

• youth are not permitted to drive themselves while on mission trip.

• youth and adults will be asked to use a common sense approach to phone use while at Faith In Action, reserving phone use to free time only

• parents are asked to limit their phone calls and texts throughout the week

• parents (and other friends and family) are not permitted to stop in for a visit during the Faith In Action
  

Emergency Contact Phone Numbers:
For emergencies, please contact our Faith In Action leader, Michelle Fessel (812-968-4436).

What To Pack
Faith In Action provides a safe and welcoming environment that exemplifies the Christian Community. For this reason, all youth and adults are asked to dress in a manner that is modest and appropriate for a Catholic environment.

• A Faith In Action t-shirt will be worn at worksites each day and laundered each night.

• Youth should have both shorts and jeans/pants for their worksite - some sites will require pants at all times.

• Please be sure to bring closed-toe tennis shoes or work boots for the worksite. Flip flops and slides are only allowed during free time.

• Dress during program and free time while at home base must cover up all parts of the chest, mid-section, and back. In addtion, please be modest when packing shorts and bathing suits.

• Personal appearance is not to be sexually suggestive or revealing nor display offensive or suggestive symbols/statements. T-shirts with beer/alcohol logos are also prohibited.

• Because our beds are bunkbeds, youth will need to bring a pillow and sheets or a sleeping bag. We will not be using air mattresses this year.

A full packing list will be sent two weeks prior to the event with more specific details.