This summer, junior Moises Arias Galvan strayed from a usual summer vacation and instead volunteered a week of his break to give back to those in need. With the help of the at-risk teen organization Treehouse, Galvan spent over one week in Kansas City and involved himself in multiple activities around the city.

“There were around 120 teens in different groups around the city,” Galvan said. “I helped out in a soup kitchen for the homeless shelter, assisted patients at a home for mentally disabled and helped kids read at the local summer school.”

The trip gave him and his peers a different perspective on how to view others and what they have, Galvan said.

“It was a way to put others before me and to be grateful for what I have,” Galvan said. “It’s nice to help out others in need, especially in a place with poverty.”

After learning and gaining so much from his first trip, Galvan said he is already planning for his trip next summer.

“After going on my first mission trip and making new friends who are all working for the same cause, I’m excited to go on the trip next year,” Galvan said.