What We Do
Our Goals
The Lost Bus originated as an idea to simplify our lives, live differently, and serve others. We are three young men who want to challenge the status quo. All three of us are passionate about the outdoors, helping others, and adventure. We believe that dedicating our time to serving others and our environment will positively affect the lives of those we work with as well as our own.
Lost is an acronym for "Lending Our Services Traveling". The name directly reflects our vision and mission for this yearlong adventure. As we travel across America, we hope to inspire others with our unique lifestyle. We plan to demonstrate the possibilities to live differently, help others, and create positive influences on our planet.
We have found it is a blessing to be able to help others on this journey. It has been encouraging to experience the hospitality from everyone and pass it on to the people we meet along the way. We have been overwhelmed with the goodness of the American people and we hope share our experiences and interactions through blogs and photos.
We are on a road trip with a purpose. Our plan is to explore the United States and help out along the way. Since January, we have volunteered at a multitude of organizations, businesses, projects, and events that benefit communities and the environment . To see what we have done so far, click here.
What We've Done
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US Army Corps Of Engineers, Nashville District
Help them with site management and trash pick up on J. Percy Priest Lake.
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Kayak Clean Up
Used the kayaks to get us around Percy Priest Lake in Tennessee to clean up trash from around the shore lines.
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CRWRC Disaster Relief Work
Like disaster relief work in the past, we worked through CRWRC in getting connected with projects and groups in Pisgah, Alabama. Unlike past disaster relief work, instead of hurricane damage, we worked on an area that was devastated by tornadoes just last April. An F5 tornado rolled through North East Alabama and took a large toll on many small communities around the area. We helped re-build homes, restore forested property, and move families back onto their property.
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Helping Single Mothers and Widows
In Houston, TX we focused our attention to individuals who really needed a hand. Single mothers and widows in need of some help with chores, yard work, house work, and completing "honey-do" lists were all part of the service we found ourselves doing.
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H.E. Butt Foundation Camp—Leakey, TX
On our second pass through TX we revisited this amazing camp. Helped out with trail building, controlled burns, and general maintenance projects.
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Olivewood Gardens and Education Center
Worked for a week and a half with garden projects and school groups. Also learned a lot about gardening and composting
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L.A Dream Center
Handed out food to the needy, went to "Skid Row" and talked with people. Some of the most powerful few days on this journey
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3 Way Thrift Store
We helped in taking in donations, cleaning them up, recycling old TVs, and other day to day tasks
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The Exploratorium
Helped out by doing odds and ends around the museum. Also, explored a lot
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30th Annual Intertribal Gathering
Ironically enough, we were bus boys at the dinner. We spent our time cleaning up after the guests left preparing for the next round of hungry people
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Surfrider Foundation
We participated in a highway cleanup and sat in on some meetings to hopefully be involved with them in the future
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Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center
Helped out W.I with odd jobs like rebuilding a badgers enclosure, prepping for a garage sale, and other random tasks
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Cranberry Havesting+Cattlemen
We helped out Joe with harvesting cranberries along with rounding up his grass fed cattle. Delicious cattle
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Small Faces Child Development Center
We got to help out Small Faces with the construction and assembly of a new playground for the children
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Stewardship Partners
We participated in helping plant a bunch of trees next to a river in Snoqualmie, Washington
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KidsQuest Childrens Museum
We helped at a fund raising event and also a little bit at the museum itself
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A Rocha
Finally got to work with our one and only sponsor A Rocha. We worked in the gardens harvesting crops, helped build a green house, and guest speakers at Lynden Christian High School's chapel
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River City Roots Festival
Helped out by picking up trash around the city/festival and enjoyed the music
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Animeals
Worked at this no kill cat shelter helping out with daily duties taking care of 90+ kitties
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Salvation Army
Spoke to kids at a camp organized through Salvation Army and also helped at their Twin Falls store
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Camp Rainbow Gold
Joined camp as counselor for siblings week where siblings of brothers and sister with cancer come to camp for one of the best weeks of summer
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Peaceful Uprising
Helped out at art day
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Second Chance Animal Shelter
Helped with maitnance projects around the shelter
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T.E.A.M Ascend
Joined this camp and hiked mountains with youth groups from Texas for a mental, physical, and spiritual experience
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Alacrity Farms
Helped out by building chicken coops and other odd jobs
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National Sports Center For the Disabled
Helped with their summer program
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Los Ojos Fish Hatchery
Helped with the many daily chores associated with farming fish like weighing, moving, cleaning raceways and feeding
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Santa Fe Audobon Society
Helped out with maintenance and other odd jobs around the grounds of this bird sanctuary
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Fat Tire Society
Worked with a mountain biking group out of Santa Fe called the Fat Tire Society redoing/maintaining the Windsor Trail
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Caja Del Rio - Trail Building (USFS)
Worked with the U.S Forest Service building a new multi-purpose trail in the Caja Del Rio, New Mexico
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Feeding wildfire refugees
Spent the night at a camp ground and met people forced out of their homes because of a wildfire with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Did what we could by feeding them a hot meal
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HEB Foundation Camp - Laity Lodge
Helped with maintenance and other chores/tasks around camp
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Austin Homeless Shelter
We helped serve the homeless in Austin breakfast
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Town Lake Animal Shelter - Austin, TX
Worked with Town Lake by taking out the dogs and playing with them and showing them a little love
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Houston Food Bank
Worked at the food bank organizing and packing goods and foods
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Meals On Wheels
Delivered meals to senior citizens with the bus
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CRWRC Disaster Relief
We worked for six weeks with mission groups helping with disaster relief all along the Gulf Coast from past hurricanes
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Blue Grass Festival
Directed traffic (you've never been directed like this before... Very animated) at a blue grass festival
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Florida State Parks - Fakahatchee Strand
Worked at Fakahatchee Strand State Park with the Park Rangers doing day to day maintenance and learned a lot along the way
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Painted a Military Memorial
Was contacted by a local (Donovan) who took it upon himself to up keep a Military Memorial and needed help painting 850 pickets of a fence.
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Ocean Kayak Clean up
Spent a day with a local high school cleaning up the mangroves around Key West
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Institute for Regional Conservation
Help the remove invasive trees and plants
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Reef Relief
Promoted education on the Reefs