{"id":26728,"date":"2026-03-06T22:44:40","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T22:44:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=26728"},"modified":"2026-03-06T22:46:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T22:46:20","slug":"faithx-trip-older-adults-to-florida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2026\/faithx-trip-older-adults-to-florida\/","title":{"rendered":"FaithX trip takes older adults to Florida for service projects and plenty of fun as well"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>By Aly Heckeroth<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The older adult FaithX trip took place Feb. 22-27 at Camp Ithiel in Gotha, Fla. There was a total of 14 participants alongside Marissa Witkovsky-Eldred and Aly Heckeroth of the FaithX and Brethren Volunteer Service staff, who acted as leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While at Camp Ithiel, participants worked on a number of projects including repainting the dining hall, sanding the chapel door, replacing the floor of the barn, and starting the prep work for replacing the back wall of the Pathfinder Cabin. A large effort also was put toward cleaning the kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While many projects got done over three days of volunteering, participants had plenty of fun as well. During free time, the group was able to canoe on the camp\u2019s lake, visit the nearby Nehrling Gardens, and put together puzzles. For the recreation day at the end of the week, participants traveled to Flat Island Preserve and Silver Spring State Park where they took a glass bottomed boat tour. There, they saw a wide variety of plants and animals including manatees that had migrated for the winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout the week, participants were able to connect with each other and shared moments of both fun and meaningful discussion while working to serve Camp Ithiel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8212; Aly Heckeroth is the FaithX assistant coordinator working through Brethren Volunteer Service. Find out more about FaithX and its short-term service trips for people ages youth through older adults at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brethren.org\/faithx\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"www.brethren.org\/faithx\">www.brethren.org\/faithx<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>#MissionAndMinistryBoard #StrategicPlan #RacialJustice #LoveOurNeighbors #Discipleship #NewTestamentGiving<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"618\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/FaithXOlderAdultTrip-PXL_20260226_202916159-600px.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26732\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/FaithXOlderAdultTrip-PXL_20260226_202916159-600px.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/FaithXOlderAdultTrip-PXL_20260226_202916159-600px-291x300.jpg 291w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/FaithXOlderAdultTrip-PXL_20260226_202916159-600px-560x577.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/FaithXOlderAdultTrip-PXL_20260226_141529890-600px.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26729\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/FaithXOlderAdultTrip-PXL_20260226_141529890-600px.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/FaithXOlderAdultTrip-PXL_20260226_141529890-600px-265x300.jpg 265w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/FaithXOlderAdultTrip-PXL_20260226_141529890-600px-560x635.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Photos courtesy of FaithX<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"703\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/FaithXOlderAdultTrip-PXL_20260223_200426860-600px.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26730\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/FaithXOlderAdultTrip-PXL_20260223_200426860-600px.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/FaithXOlderAdultTrip-PXL_20260223_200426860-600px-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/FaithXOlderAdultTrip-PXL_20260223_200426860-600px-560x656.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"433\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/FaithXOlderAdultTrip-PXL_20260226_195540634-CourtesyofFaithx-600px-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-26735\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/FaithXOlderAdultTrip-PXL_20260226_195540634-CourtesyofFaithx-600px-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/FaithXOlderAdultTrip-PXL_20260226_195540634-CourtesyofFaithx-600px-1-300x217.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/03\/FaithXOlderAdultTrip-PXL_20260226_195540634-CourtesyofFaithx-600px-1-560x404.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Find more Church of the Brethren news:<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__list wp-block-latest-posts\"><li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2026\/largest-congregations-send-leaders\/\">Largest congregations send leaders for a time of learning, sharing, and support<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2026\/frontliners-training-and-book-club\/\">Intercultural Ministries schedules first \u2018frontliners\u2019 training, announces new online book club<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2026\/faithful-response-immigration-gathering-2\/\">Faithful Response Immigration gathering offers inspiration and retreat experience for leaders of immigrant support efforts<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2026\/svmc-brethren-press-partner-on-series\/\">Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center and Brethren Press partner to offer Faith Formation Series<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2026\/feature-fora-space-to-contemplate-resurrection\/\">Feature for Earth Month and Poetry Month: A space to contemplate resurrection and life<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The older adult FaithX trip took place Feb. 22-27 at Camp Ithiel in Gotha, Fla. There was a total of 14 participants alongside Marissa Witkovsky-Eldred and Aly Heckeroth of the FaithX and Brethren Volunteer Service staff, who acted as leaders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":26729,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"yes","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1703],"tags":[3481,68,5,1223,1814,3677,1622,1256,628,3225,1160,3095,2195],"wf_post_folders":[],"class_list":["post-26728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-church-of-the-brethren-newsline","tag-aly-heckeroth","tag-brethren-volunteer-service","tag-bvs","tag-camp-ithiel","tag-faithx","tag-faithx-older-adult-trip","tag-florida","tag-older-adults","tag-outdoor-ministries-association","tag-service-2","tag-service-ministries","tag-events","tag-service"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26728"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26736,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26728\/revisions\/26736"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26728"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=26728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}