Day: October 21, 2026

For Joey Curtin, what began as a single mission trip to Esperanza Viva (EV) became a calling that continues to shape her life. Since joining her first YMCA mission trip, she has returned year after year, building lasting relationships with the children, serving alongside fellow YMCA volunteers, and now preparing to lead the YMCA’s next mission team as a volunteer trip leader.

Since 2018, the Glacial Community YMCA has organized mission trips to Esperanza Viva, a youth home in Puebla, Mexico, that provides shelter, family, healing, and hope to approximately 100 children, from toddlers to teens. Each trip gives YMCA volunteers the opportunity to work alongside EV staff on service projects that help care for the campus while building meaningful relationships with the children through games, arts and crafts, and other activities. The experience extends beyond the walls of EV as volunteers also serve in the surrounding community at local churches and hospitals.

Joey’s connection to Esperanza Viva actually began before the YMCA organized its first mission trip. She first visited independently alongside her daughters and returned home deeply moved by the experience.

“I remember telling Bruce (Osborn, YMCA Director of Spiritual Development) how life-changing the trip had been for me,” Joey said. “I was beyond excited when the YMCA announced they would be taking a team to Esperanza Viva.” She has been part of nearly every trip since.

“I still feel that same excitement to share this experience with others,” Joey said. “Going back to Esperanza Viva feels like going to visit family.”

What continues to draw Joey back isn’t just the opportunity to serve. It’s the relationships she has built with the children, the chance to work alongside fellow YMCA volunteers, and the lasting impact the experience has on everyone who goes. She explained, “Every person on the team brings something unique, their gifts, talents, passions, and heart for serving. It is especially meaningful to watch people who initially say they do not have anything special to offer discover that simply showing up and being themselves is more than enough.”

“For me, the trip is a reminder of what is truly important,” she said. “It inspires me to connect with others more intentionally, serve where I can, and be more present with the people around me.”

“We go there to give and to help, and we do,” she said. “But we come back having received at least as much, if not more. There really is no language barrier with love.”