The beauty of Bristol and its surrounding areas is breathtaking as one drives into southwest Virginia for the Diocesan Work Camp. This year’s camp was set amid a scenery of lush, tree-covered mountains, round bales of hay neatly rolled up on farmland, and cows wandering on hills and in brooks.
But the real beauty of Work Camp is in the people – both those who served on behalf of the diocese, and those who humbly welcomed the Church into their homes.
During Work Camp, teens learn basic construction skills with help from adult volunteer contractors, then put those skills to use in home repair projects for those in need.
The picturesque landscape of the Appalachian region disguises the poverty that some residents are living in. Southwest Virginia’s natural resources once attracted workers in coal mining, railroading, and logging. Those jobs have dwindled, leaving generations of families with fewer options to survive.
Work Camp is a chance for members of the diocese to be witnesses of Christ’s love and make a difference in the lives of some of those residents. This year, more than 120 high school students and 110 adults representing about 30 parishes across the diocese gave up one week of their summer to serve their neighbors – the largest number of participants since 2018.
The theme this year was “Rejoice” – a nod to the current Jubilee Year in the Church. The teens remained joyful through brutally hot work days, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch, and sleeping without the comforts of their beds.
“It’s an amazing thing when we get to live out Christian community together – where we get to pray together, spend time together, work together, and serve those who need help,” said Andrew Waring, director of the diocesan Office for Evangelization, which organizes Work Camp.
This year, crews completed more than 30 home improvement projects at 16 homes in Abingdon, Bristol, and Damascus.
In just one week, the volunteers built eight decks, five sets of stairs, four wheelchair ramps, one fence, and one screened-in porch; completed three flooring jobs and several plumbing projects; installed two mobile home skirts, two doors, and one bathroom ceiling; and painted the exterior of a house.
First-timer at camp Seamus Cruess, a teen from St. Benedict, Richmond, said he wanted to go to Work Camp to serve people. He added that it was good to help the resident at his work site in Abingdon, who is disabled.
Charlotte Land, a teen from St. Joseph’s Shrine of St. Katharine Drexel, Columbia, said she returned to Work Camp for a second year because it was meaningful for her to serve. “I know what it’s like to be in not the best situations,” said Land. “And it gets me around other great Catholics, because when do you get to do that?”
Keira Corbin, another teen from St. Joseph’s Shrine, said, “I have learned to be very grateful for what I have, seeing how [much] their houses need help.”
Debra Rodham, a resident who also happens to be a parishioner of St. Anne, Bristol, said it was “rejuvenating” to have the teens at her home all week. “I live by myself, so I’m always alone,” she said, explaining that she had moved to Abingdon after her husband passed away.
Rodham said it was special to see her Catholic faith in action outside of the church walls. “I never knew that they did anything like this and I’m just amazed,” she said. “They pray every day and I usually stand nearby and mouth the words. Today, I just joined right in.”
Work Camp is practical and prayerful. The days are spent at the work sites and the evenings are a mix of fun and faith. Prayer is built in throughout the day, starting with Mass each morning.
Camp first-timer Kieran Pudner, a teen from St. Ann, Ashland, said, “The most memorable part of the week was adoration and the music that went with it.”
Josey Drummond, a teen from St. Edward the Confessor, Richmond, has been to Work Camp four times. “Each year, I’ve grown in my confidence. I’m more willing to talk about my faith with other people,” she said.
“The community is just amazing. I love coming to Work Camp,” Drummond added. “You get to meet people who I would consider lifelong friends.”
Friends and strangers become one community during Work Camp.
“The high schoolers and most of the people that came to serve at Work Camp are coming from the Catholic Church, but I know that many of the residents [that we helped] come from different faith traditions,” said Waring.
“There is still so much that unites us,” he said. “We’re united by our love for Jesus Christ. I just want to say thank you [to the residents] for being witnesses of Christ’s love for us and I hope we were witnesses of that love back to you as well.”
Practice makes picnic tables
The Office for Evangelization introduced a new project at Work Camp this year. On Sunday, June 22, teens learned new skills and put them to practical use right away, even before they went to their work sites. In previous years at camp, the teens practiced measuring, sawing, drilling, and hammering on scrap materials that were later discarded.
This year, the Work Campers used their newly-learned skills to build six picnic tables. Two were given to St. Anne, Bristol, as a gift for hosting Work Camp. They were placed in a grassy area outside the church.
Another table was donated to a resident in Abingdon to replace an old, rotting picnic table in the backyard. The other three tables were given to Christ the King, Abingdon, which has a large patio space. Father Chris Masla, pastor of Christ the King, thanked the volunteers for the gifts and said the tables would make it nicer for parishioners to enjoy the outdoor space.
