More than 110 adults served at the annual Diocesan Work Camp, held in Bristol June 21-27. With more than 120 teen campers signed up this year, that’s a nearly 1:1 ratio of teens to adults. Work Camp is a ministry with practical and spiritual fruits, thanks to the planning, guidance, and joy of the adults, who serve in various roles.
Contractors
The contractors are the brains, brawn, and heart of Work Camp. A total of 26 contractors served at camp this year, teaching the teens practical skills, fostering a faithful environment at the work sites, and making sure all projects are done in compliance with state and local building codes.
This year, there were three lead contractors: Bert Drummond, from St. Edward the Confessor, Richmond; Heber Dunkle, from Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Newport News; and newcomer Jack Raubach, from St. Jude, Christiansburg.
In the six months before the teens and other contractors arrived on June 21, the three lead contractors had already logged many miles – and hours – identifying work sites, meeting residents, drawing up plans, submitting permits, and ordering materials that would be needed on day one.
For most of the contractors, Work Camp is their ministry and it’s a way to show the teens that God gives everyone skills that can be shared with others.
Rob Witte, a parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes, Richmond, returned for his fourth year as a contractor. He owns his own contracting business, and said it is a big sacrifice to put his work on hold and leave his family for a whole week.
“It’s worth it, though. The first year, I didn’t want to do it, but I had such a moving experience and it brought me so much closer to God,” Witte said.
Work Camp has changed the way he’s living out his faith at home. “One of the hardest things is actually leaving camp and going back to normal life, back to reality,” Witte said. “It makes you want to be the way you are at Work Camp. You try and live every day like you do during that one week.”
Chris Hitzelberger is the director of Catholic Campus Ministry at Virginia Tech, but for one week at Work Camp, he’s a contractor. When asked how he picked up his construction skills, he laughed and said, “Learning how to be a contractor is like learning your faith.”
“You learn a little bit at a time, picking things up here and there, and you get help from people along the way who know more than you do,” he explained.
The contractors say they are impressed with the teens. “They are willing to work so hard. They listen so well. They’re like sponges, they pick stuff up really fast,” said Witte.
He said the contractors serve as great examples for everyone at camp. “In this world we live in, you don’t envision a strong man as someone who is faith-based,” Witte said. “At camp, you see a lot of strong men who are strong in their faith as well.”
Chaperones
An adult chaperone is assigned to each work crew, helping the teens stay focused on their projects. Nearly 30 chaperones volunteered to sweat it out alongside the teens at the work sites this year.
Eric Hogan, the chaperone for Crew 19, returned from St. Mary’s, Blacksburg, for a second time at Work Camp. Even the chaperones are expected to do work, so having some experience is helpful. “I enjoy DIY-type stuff, building things around the house,” he said.
“This group is really great, they bonded very well, they were helping each other out a ton,” said Hogan. “I think towards the end, we were laughing a lot with each other, just really enjoying each other’s company.”
Hogan was the chaperone for Berkley Cundiff, a first-time camper from Holy Name of Mary, Bedford. Cundiff said the chaperone sets the mood for the work site and Hogan “was really good, very positive.”
Crew 9 chaperone Fred Gortler, from St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlottesville, is a second-year chaperone. “We come here to build. But really, we are being built in the process. Just to be part of that is exhilarating. It would be hard to stay away,” said Gortler.
Priests
Priests have a vital role at Work Camp. In addition to offering Mass and hearing confessions, they joined the teens for free time, playing football or games of Spoons.
Half a dozen priests were present to the teens during the week, including: Father Matt Kiehl, vicar for vocations; Father Tom Lawrence, pastor of St. Anne, Bristol, St. Bernard, Gate City, and St. Patrick, Dungannon; Father Chris Masla, pastor of Christ the King, Abingdon, and St. John the Evangelist, Marion; Father Charles Mbazzi, parochial vicar of Blessed Sacrament, Harrisonburg; and Father Tom Yehl, the chaplain at Virginia Tech.
During Mass on Tuesday, June 24, Father Masla told the teens: “It is good to see projects be completed this week and how you’re helping the residents – but ultimately, we will not see the reward of our toil here on Earth until we are in heaven.”
Home base volunteers
Dozens of adults serve as home base volunteers at Work Camp, making sure everything goes smoothly. Their assignments ranged from serving food to monitoring the showers to helping pack (and unpack) items. The teens say it was encouraging to see the home base volunteers smiling at the end of a long day.
Cindy Laufer, a parishioner of Church of the Ascension, Virginia Beach, was back for a fifth year to help out. “I love doing any kind of job they send me to do. I just love whatever it takes to make these kids see God in so many ways and I love seeing the expressions on their faces when they go to adoration. It really touches my heart,” Laufer said.
It was the first time as a home base volunteer for Andrea Dorsey, parishioner at St. John Neumann, Powhatan. She saw the Work Camp poster hanging in the parish narthex: “I just kept being drawn to it.”
Dorsey said Work Camp transformed her outlook and her faith. “Going to Mass everyday has been wonderful – since I work, I don’t get to go to daily Mass.”
“The kids have been awesome,” she added. “They were tired, but they were still happy and joyous.”
Seminarians
About 15 seminarians from our diocese took a break from their summer parish assignments to help out during Work Camp. The seminarians pitched in at work sites, and served during Mass, adoration, and a Eucharistic procession.
Many of the teens said they enjoyed getting to know the seminarians and learn from them. “They’re just fun people, just good to be around, always making jokes – and then when it’s time to be serious, they’re serious,” said Seamus Cruess, a teen from St. Benedict, Richmond. “They’re teaching us how to pray and being good examples for us.”
Seminarian Carl Baumann said Work Camp helps him get to know our diocese. “It’s getting a little taste of elements of ministry – praying together and having opportunities to serve. These kids look up to you like an older brother or a father, and they open up about their struggles and you get to pray with them.”
“Work Camp as a seminarian is the best week of the year,” said Aventon Grimes, a seminarian serving at camp for the second time. “Everything we do as a seminarian is about serving the people of our diocese.
“For nine months out of the year, we are working hard and doing things, but we don’t get to be with the people,” Grimes said. “Work Camp in particular is this heightened blast of fun, being with the youth, the future of this diocese.”
See more photos from Work Camp!
Read about Bishop Barry C. Knestout’s visit to Work Camp.
Read about Work Camp projects which helped with hurricane recovery in Damascus.