Louisville is a community on the move, with major city amenities like world-class performing arts, great sports and incredible dining. Louisville also offers hospitality, warmth and smaller-city advantages like shorter commutes and a lower cost of living. Louisville is a City of Parks with one of the nation's largest parks expansions underway, adding 4,000 new acres of park land and the 100-mile Louisville Loop trail encircling the entire community. Despite its progressive economic development, Louisville faces challenges of poverty and homelessness. Your group will have the opportunity to shine the light of Jesus to struggling families through children ministries, serving the elderly, and the homeless of this great city.

Demographics

Founded in 1778 and incorporated in 1828, Louisville is the largest city in Kentucky with a population of 554,496 and a metropolitan area of 1.2 million people that extends into southern Indiana. Nicknamed “Derby City”, Louisville gains worldwide recognition for the annual Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. The city of Louisville was established in north central Kentucky along the Falls of the Ohio, the only natural obstacle of the Ohio River. Although Louisville is located in a Southern state, the city is often considered the northernmost Southern city and the southernmost Northern city. This unique location allows Louisville to be directly influenced by both Midwestern and Southern culture. This location has even influenced the pronunciation of Louisville – the “s” is always silent. Most native residents pronounce the city's name as “lu-ev-el”, which sometimes evolves into “luvel”. This city is home to the first cheeseburger ever sold and the Louisville Slugger baseball bats.

About the Ministry

Participants serve in a variety of ways during a YouthWorks mission trip. Students may spend all week at one ministry or switch between ministries during the week. Our goal is to partner with local organizations and programs that seek to address the very basic needs of residents. Students may serve at places like: Children’s Programs, Elderly Centers, Soup Kitchens/Homeless Shelters and Thrift Stores. We cannot confirm until all groups arrive exactly what ministries your students will be a part of during the week. We ask that you come with a willing and flexible spirit!

Activities

Evening activities during a YouthWorks week are designed to give participants insight into the lives of local residents and the culture of the area. Below is a list of evening/cultural activities we have done in the past: visit a local park; attend a local church service; attend a local community cookout. These are examples of what your group might partake in during your mission week. These examples are subject to change due to weather or availability. In case of change, suitable substitutes will be provided. We try to arrange for free evening activities, but an additional cost may be required. Please plan to bring an additional $10 per person to cover any extra costs. We will confirm the details closer to your trip.

Ministry Week

Partnering with Local Ministries.

Mileage

Louisville is located on the border of Kentucky and Indiana and is home to the Louisville International Airport.

Transportation & Travel

This site can only accommodate standard 15 passenger vans or smaller.

Additional Information

For more information on the city of Louisville go to http://www.hellolouisville.com/