Every other year, during the last full week of June, The Dover Church Youth Group takes its ministry of service to Western Maine. Building upon our past Mission to the Eastward (MATE) service trips to Farmington, ME, and our past experience with Appalachian Service Project in West Virginia, we will bring our home repair skills back to MATE, “reaching the last house on the last road”
Learn more about MATE at www.missionattheeastward.org.
This organization is part of the Presbyterian Church and has been serving Mainers since 1954. We will again work with the MATE Housing Ministry, which helps people in the Farmington area stay in their homes who without our help would not be able to. Recently, our projects included roofing, building porches and ramps, painting and even building a home from the ground up!
If you are interested in finding out more about our service trip, please reach out to Kayla (kayla@thedoverchurch.org). You do not need to be a member of The Dover Church to join in this life enriching experience.
2027 Update
The 2027 MATE Summer Service Trip is scheduled for June 27 through July 2, 2027.
On Sunday, September 27th from 7-8:30pm, we are kicking off our 2027 Summer Service Trip with our first MATE Preparatory meeting! We’ll get to know each other, play games, and talk about what to expect in the months ahead. To be eligible for all 40 hours of community service, students must attend at least 5 preparatory events – be they meetings, group fundraising events, or individual or small group time helping with trip-related tasks. The MATE 2026-2027 schedule is listed below. All current 8th-12th graders are welcome to participate. Stay tuned for more information and registration. Spread the word!
By participating in the MATE service trip, students are eligible for up to 40 hours of community service credit. To be eligible for all 40 hours of community service, students must attend at least 5 preparatory events – be they meetings, group fundraising events, or individual or small group time helping with trip-related tasks.
2026-27 SCHEDULE
September 27th, 7-8:30pm: MATE Kick Off
December 13th, 7-8:30pm: Games & Poverty
January 1st DEPOSIT & REGISTRATION DUE
January 10th, 7-8:30pm: Games & Mountain Money
February 7th, 7-8:30pm: Games & Tough Choices
April 4th, 7-8:30pm: Tool Night
April 25th, 7-8:30pm: Tool Sorting
June 1st FULL PAYMENT DUE
June 6th, 7-8:30pm: Tie Dye & S’mores
MATE TRIP: June 27th – July 2nd
Please reach out to kayla@thedoverchurch.org if you’d like to participate, or if you have any questions.
Interested in Becoming an Adult Volunteer?
Learn more about the adult volunteer experience, get answers to frequently answered questions, and register on our adult volunteering page.
Fundraising and Payment Guide
Please take a minute to read information about fundraising and our payment requirements.
