YOUR STORY MATTERS HERE: Grant Hoover

By Tim Wesley

A few years ago, Grant Hoover and other members of Dutilh’s Student Ministry spent a week on a mission trip with The Pittsburgh Project. 

Each day, they helped to renovate a home for a single mother who had three young kids; their tasks included remodeling the bathroom, fixing some plumbing and repairing a hole in the ceiling.  Each night, they slept in a local shelter.

For Grant, now 16, the work was rewarding, and even familiar.

“Within our family, we do a lot of that,” he said.  “My dad and his dad, they’re big home improvement guys, and my other grandfather is an electrician.  The work can seem daunting, but then you do it with a group of other people, and you know in your heart it’s for the best reason possible, so it doesn’t really feel like work anymore.”

During lunch one day, the Dutilh students ate and chatted with the woman of the house.

“She was explaining how she was doing everything she could, working two jobs, shuttling the kids around,” Grant said.  “It just wasn’t her being lazy that got her into the position she was in.  It was just circumstances, so you realize it’s not really their fault.”

If that bit of perspective – from a young man who’s barely old enough to drive – sounds refreshing and gives you hope, how about this from that same young man:

“The way I see it, God has blessed me with a lot of great things in life.  There are a lot of other people who are not as fortunate, and if you have the resources and time, it’s nice to give back.”

Nice, indeed.

Armed with that vision for mission, Grant has participated in DSM trips each year since that week in Pittsburgh.  The group recently returned from Jumonville and the Uth4Missions trip, which included students from multiple churches performing multiple tasks during the week.

They visited several churches and community centers to unload food and pack meals, sort clothes, clean rooms, and landscape the grounds.  At one stop along the way, Grant talked to a local volunteer.

“We were talking about the things he’s done for the church and the hours he’s put in,” he said.  “It was pretty inspiring.”

Jackie and Harry Hoover have sought to inspire their boys, Grant and his 14-year-old brother, Jordan, to serve from a young age.

“We don’t like to take credit for it, because we believe it truly takes a village to raise kids,” Jackie said.  “Harry and I have always participated in mission work through our churches, and we’ve tried to teach the boys to give back and be thankful for what they have and never take it for granted, to live as a good example to others.  It even goes back to their Christian preschool, where they learned a lot of things I wouldn’t have taken the time to teach.”

About six years ago, the Hoovers – the family now includes two dogs and two cats – moved to Cranberry Township from Irwin and began attending Dutilh, where the boys were confirmed and attended first FISH and now DSM regularly.  As students in the large Seneca Valley School District – Grant is a junior and Jordan is a freshman – the church connections helped them to find new friends and build lasting relationships.

“Dutilh gave me opportunities to connect with more kids,” Grant said.  “With all the church programs for young people, you can see it really understands that introducing young kids [to faith] early is really important.”

And that includes opportunities for trips such as “Uth4 Missions.”  In addition to the aforementioned community service projects, the campers basked in the beauty and serenity of Jumonville, and they enjoyed ample free time to mingle with the other guests while playing sports, hiking, sitting around a campfire, and participating in group worship and bible studies.

“We always love going to Jumonville,” Grant said.  “You meet new friends and you get to know your current friends even better.  I’ve been there more than 10 times, including a ‘mommy and me’ camp many years ago.  You really get to disconnect from the world a bit and be in the wilderness.  I appreciate nature, and the week away from distractions gives me time to reflect on and re-evaluate my faith.  It’s just you, your friends, and God.”

As always, a hike down to the Green Cathedral and a nighttime trek up the hill to Jumonville’s massive cross were highlights.

“The view up there from the cross is just breathtaking,” Grant said.  “You can see really far on a clear day, and having that cross lit up, it’s honestly surreal.  You realize how beautiful the world can be.”

Grant’s world will begin to change over the next year or so, as he contemplates his next steps after high school and begins to look at colleges.  He plays volleyball for Seneca Valley and Steel City, a club team, and he’s hoping to play in college, while perhaps majoring in biology. 

No matter where the path takes him, he plans to stay focused on his faith, family and friends – and on the lessons learned from being a young man on a mission.

If you or someone you know in the Dutilh family has an interesting story or profession, send us your ideas! We would love to help tell the story. Email: communications@dutilhumc.org.