As the last day of school approaches, a group of Midcoast area teens have much more to look forward to than an extended reprieve from the daily barrage of homework.

On June 23 they will board a plane flying from Maine to Puerto Rico for a week-long mission trip with the Christian organization Youth Works. As missionaries they will sleep on the floor of a small church in the predominantly poor town of Arecibo, whose residents they will serve during the day.

The average annual salary for residents of Arecibo is lower than that of the residents of any U.S. state, and thousands of local families live well below the poverty level. The teens will provide assistance in a variety of local projects including a rehabilitation program for local youths struggling to overcome drug and alcohol addiction and a variety of summer camps that cater to the area’s disadvantaged children.

Members of the mission team expect to also form bonds with other teens from around the country who share an interest in serving the world around them.

The group has already completed multiple fundraising projects to finance its trip to Puerto Rico, but their campaign is ongoing.

The next major fundraiser is a ham supper in the parish hall at St. Charles Borromeo Church, 132 McKeen St. The benefit supper is tonight from 5 to 7 p.m.

On Saturday, the group will host a car wash at the 7- Eleven in downtown Brunswick from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

MADELINE COWAN is a junior at Brunswick High School.