Catholic community ‘gives me a new hope in humanity’
On the surface, the small mountain town of Damascus is quaint and welcoming, with colorful murals painted on old-fashioned buildings. Hikers and bikers traverse the trail town on the seven mountain trails that pass through downtown, including the famous Appalachian Trail and the Virginia Creeper Trail.
Underneath the amiable atmosphere of the Appalachian town is a grit and determination that has been tested in the last nine months, after Hurricane Helene unleashed devastating floods in Damascus and areas across the region last September.
Two of the Diocesan Work Camp sites had special meaning this year, playing a small role in the massive recovery effort in Damascus. Crews 3 and 4 were assigned to a cottage where the deck had been washed away in the floodwaters. Crew 23 rebuilt a fence that had also been swept up in the rushing waters.
Damascus Mayor Katie Lamb came to a special Work Camp dinner to personally thank the teens for their help, becoming emotional as she said, “We’re so blessed, so grateful. It’s been one miracle after another [having groups like you come in].”
“I truly feel from the bottom of my heart that we’re going to be better than we’ve ever been because of folks like you, coming from all over to help us rebuild and recover,” said Mayor Lamb.
The crews rebuilt the large deck, but the cottage is still in need of extensive repairs. It was intended to be a rental for visitors, but in a pay-it-forward decision, property manager Buddy Albro said once the repairs are complete, he plans to give the home to one of the many Damascus families who lost their homes in the flooding. Many families are still displaced, including Albro, whose home broke in half and crumbled after being lifted off its foundation by the floodwaters.
“We didn’t have flood insurance because it has never flooded in the history of Damascus,” said Albro. “There really has been no help other than volunteers like you guys who have come to help us, [just] the generosity of strangers. So much good out of so much tragedy.”
Albro said the Catholic community is small in that part of Virginia, but those he met at Work Camp are fabulous. “I can’t say enough good things about the teens working here. They’re so kind, so hardworking, so respectful,” he said. “They seem to take a sincere interest in me and the community. They listen, they really care. And this is huge what they’re doing.”
Elizabeth Papelino was the chaperone for Crew 23 and said it was very meaningful to work on a site in Damascus. She is a parishioner of St. John Neumann, Powhatan, and the pastor, Father Eric Anokye, was previously assigned to four small parishes in southwest Virginia.
“He wanted to send kids to Work Camp because he knows the need out here,” Papelino said. She saw the devastation in Damascus firsthand because she works for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management as a recovery coordinator.
“It is very special to be able to come back and help rebuild this community – and to do it through my faith and see the kids grow in their own faith,” Papelino added.
Having a work site in a trail town, it was fitting that the members of Crew 23 gave each other “trail names” to encourage each other and build camaraderie, just as hikers do in long-distance hiking communities.
After one day of working together, the teens were nicknamed: Nicholas “The Chef” Dunkle, from Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Newport News; Jessica “Thor” Grubbs, from St. Bridget, Richmond; William “The Surgeon” Hoyt, from St. Edward the Confessor, Richmond; and Mark “The Executioner” Warner, from Blessed Sacrament, Harrisonburg. Papelino was nicknamed “Trooper.”
They built a new fence for homeowner Paul Dhoore, who said he is grateful for the help because he has been working seven days a week to clean up and rebuild since the flood happened.
Dhoore said he grew up Catholic in Belgium, but fell away from the faith. Work Camp has given him a new appreciation for Christian charity.
“With all the negative news, [having Work Camp here] gives me a new hope in humanity, that there’s still a lot of good people around,” Dhoore said. “You tend to get focused on all the negative in the news, the social media, but a majority of people are really good.”
Dhoore and his wife, Lee Lewis, both said they were grateful to have the fence back up, and complimented the craftsmanship. “They’ve been such nice people, so good-hearted to give up [part of their] summer, and sweat and suffer,” said Lewis.
See more photos from Work Camp!
Read about Bishop Barry C. Knestout’s visit to Work Camp.
Read about the adults who serve alongside the teens at Work Camp.