Babushka is the Russian word for grandmother and the loving name that many use for Alexandra Goode. Alexandra was born in Russia, but her family was forced to flee to…
OUR VOLUNTEERS
WHY WE SERVE
In this brief video, learn more about why LEAP mission volunteers serve the organization and continue doing so year after year. The hours are long, the work is hard, and while they use their vacation days to serve, missions are anything but relaxing.

Dr. Candace Granberg
Urologist Dr. Candace Granberg has traveled with us to Haiti on numerous occasions. In early 2017, she started a Facebook campaign called #hammerforhaiti to raise money for LEAP with the goal of $2500 before traveling to Haiti on April 20. The plan was that if she reached that goal, she would carry the heavier hammer in the fall Hammer Race.

Chris & Emma Lamon
Father/daughter duo Chris and Emma Lamon traveled with us to Haiti in October 2017. The Lamon family has been very involved with LEAP for years with three generations of support spanning across our Mission and Landmark programs.

Scott Porter
Scott Porter is a local photographer who has traveled with us on missions to Haiti and Belize. He’s a bit quiet and unassuming, but that’s because he’s focused on capturing the moment rather than being in it. Scott’s got an inimitable talent for capturing an entire story within a single frame. It’s always hard to explain what it’s like to be on mission, but his work represents the layers of emotion, the purity of spirit, and the sweat equity involved in the work.
I started with LEAP during my fellowship year. International medical work was already a key passion but a question of how and when. During fellowship, Dr. Hobar said the time…
In her four years as a volunteer nurse for LEAP, Vicki Wendling has been on nine missions to Zimbabwe, Haiti, Belize, and India. We were very excited for her to…
Dr. Mary Ellen Thurman is an anesthesiologist practicing in St. Louis, Missouri. This year’s India trip was her first visit to India but her second trip with LEAP. Mary Ellen…