Finding Strength in the Mission: How 2025 Grant Recipient Savanna Kept Going

As the deadline for the Leave Your Mark Contest approaches on September 13th, it is easy to assume your story is not big enough or finished enough to submit.

When Savanna Matovka, a full-time mission coordinator with Adventures in Missions, submitted her application last year, she was simply looking for practical support to keep serving. Winning the grant served as a timely reminder that her ongoing work on the ground mattered.

If you are on the fence about sharing your story, Savanna’s journey shows why taking a few minutes to apply is worth the effort.

Meeting Needs on the Front Lines

Savanna has served as a missionary with Adventures in Missions for four years, focusing on local partnership, discipleship, and community relief. Her work connects short-term teams with immediate needs, pairing direct action with long-term relationships.

• Manchester, New Hampshire: Savanna coordinates mission teams serving directly in the heart of Manchester. Her teams work with unhoused community members, support local shelters, work alongside foster care organizations, and partner with local youth clubs.
• Disaster Relief in North Carolina: She supports relief operations in Black Mountain, helping coordinate teams rebuilding homes and restoring hope for families recovering from Hurricane Helene.
• Central Maine Outreach: Savanna leads teams back into her home communities in Maine, organizing women’s ministry retreats, supporting local shelters, and assisting elderly community members.

You can read more about her background and early vision in her previous Leave Your Mark spotlight post.

Hear Savanna’s Story Firsthand

In her interview, Savanna reflects on how receiving the Leave Your Mark grant provided direct financial stability when she needed it most, serving as a sign of encouragement to press forward into her next season of outreach.

A Timely Push to Stay in the Field

Raising ongoing ministry funding requires constant focus. For Savanna, receiving the Leave Your Mark grant provided critical monthly stability, allowing her to stay in Manchester and maintain project timelines across New England without pausing operations.

Her experience shows that grant funds do not just pay for supplies. They keep dedicated workers where they are needed most.

Apply Before the September 13th Deadline

Whether you are coordinating regional teams, running local youth programs, or supporting families in crisis, your work is worth highlighting.

You do not need a flawless pitch to apply for funding. Take a lesson from past winners and put your application in before the clock runs out.

The deadline to apply for the Leave Your Mark Contest is September 13th.

• 🚀 Submit your application: Visit the Leave Your Mark Contest Page to submit your entry before September 13th.
• 🤝 Partner with Savanna: Learn more about her ongoing ministry and monthly support goals on her ministry blog and her donation page at Adventures in Missions.