Praying Pelicans visiting Memphis in the summer of 2019
Every summer for the past several years, Clean Memphis has had the opportunity to partner with Praying Pelican Missions to work on summer service projects across the city. Praying Pelican is a short-term international missions organization serving the needs of indigenous local churches, pastors, and communities around the world. Founded in 2003, they started out serving two communities in Belize, expanded to Jamaica in 2007, and now annually serve more than 65 communities between the two countries, making them the largest provider of mission trips to Belize and Jamaica in the US.
Closer to home, Clean Memphis has been pairing Praying Pelican teams from across the country with many of our neighborhood partners to assist them with larger projects such as installing community gardens, reclaiming vacant lots, and assisting elderly residents with yard maintenance.
This year, we have already had several Praying Pelican teams come through, working on projects at Elmwood Cemetery, Bickford Community Center, and at private residences. One team recently worked to assist a Memphis resident with her yard. As it turned out, she was elated to see them because this same group gave her a helping hand last year!
We’re thankful for the connection we have made with the Praying Pelican teams, and we look forward to welcoming them back for many summers to come!