Diocesan youth love God and neighbor at annual Work Camp
“I have never seen a group like you – each one of you is amazing,” said Vickie Tyler, one of the homeowners who had repairs done to her home during this year’s diocesan Work Camp.
“It’s unreal what you have done for our community,” she told the roomful of camp participants and volunteers during a dinner the last night of Work Camp. “I’m just so grateful.”
From June 17-23, more than 100 people from 14 parishes across the diocese sacrificed a week of their summer for Work Camp, organized by the diocesan Office for Evangelization (OFE). The group included 72 teenagers, 12 volunteer contractors, and nearly 20 adult chaperones and volunteers. College campus ministers and seminarians also pitched in to help.
The mission of those taking part in the annual camp is to get out of their comfort zone and spend a week serving those in the community who are less fortunate. This year, campers put in more than 2,777 hours of hard work and an enduring Christian witness.
Andrew Waring, OFE’s director, said it was inspiring to “see everyone at the end of each day, so worn out, and still so joyful.”
This year, home base was staged at Peninsula Catholic High School, Newport News, and work was done at various sites in Newport News and Williamsburg. Most of the work was focused on Highland Park, a low-income neighborhood in Williamsburg.
“I have lived in my house for 54 years,” Tyler said. “This has never happened. I could never have imagined this. Not many people think about Highland Park.”
OFE worked with Housing Partnerships Inc. (HPI) – a Williamsburg non-profit that repairs homes for low-income or disabled residents – to identify homes in need of attention.
“You have no idea of the impact you have made on this community,” Brandie Weiler, executive director of HPI, told the teens as the week came to a close.
She said that when Waring approached her about having Work Camp in Williamsburg, Highland Park came to mind immediately. She said she knew that its residents would benefit greatly from having a little love shown to them.
The teens showed more than a little love, and left a lasting impression on the homeowners and their families.
“You’re a respectful, warm, carefree, beautiful group of people,” said one Highland Park resident to the teens. She recounted the joy of seeing them work so diligently each day, without complaining. She said she even heard the teens singing outside her window while they worked.
intrepid as she cuts part of a new handrail at Crew 9’s work site.
Over the course of the week, the teens repaired and replaced ramps, handrails, and doors. They re-glazed windows, drywalled ceilings and walls, and pressure washed homes. They repaired and painted trim and roof fascia. Some of the work crews even threw in some yardwork, with one of the crews buying and planting flowers to brighten up the resident’s yard.
“These are life skills they’re learning. Some of them didn’t know what a screwdriver was,” said Mike Tracy, from St. Gregory the Great, Virginia Beach.
Tracy returned to Work Camp this year, once again volunteering as a contractor. All of the students were divided into 12 work crews for the week; each crew was assigned a contractor to help teach them and oversee the projects.
Another volunteer contractor, Chris Hitzelberger, from St. Mary’s, Blacksburg, said the kids are “like sponges. They want to learn how to do these things. And then they want to show the other kids what they learned.”
He said the teens continue building on those skills after camp is over. He recalled one past camper who “went home and re-did the family’s deck.”
“It’s all stuff they learned here,” Tracy added.
In addition to Highland Park, teens also volunteered at local parishes, Grove Christian Outreach, and the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank, where the teens packaged a record 17,000 pounds of food.
‘Take courage’
The theme of this year’s Work Camp was ‘Take Courage.’ Angela Hamrick, the camp’s keynote speaker, told the students on the first night that they would have to be courageous all week in doing new things and living without their usual comforts of home.
Hamrick said it would take courage to show love for the people they were helping – and even for their fellow campmates in some close quarters.
And on the last night, Hamrick said it would take even more courage to carry on the Catholic mission after camp was over and the teens were back to their routines at home again.
“It’s obvious, but the call to live our faith never ends,” Hamrick said. “And it’s harder when we get home. It takes a lot of courage to live and share your faith.”
The work crews persevered through tough conditions all week. A big challenge was the weather – crews dealt with everything from heavy rain and storms, to sweltering heat.
James Thelan, from St. Edward the Confessor, Richmond, said it was “miserable weather,” but “even in the rain, we were doing a lot of good work.”
“There was a lot of rain and a lot of hardships all week,” said John Paul Shanahan, one of the seminarians who spent the week helping the teens, “but everyone was really joyful. Everyone still smiled.”
Homeowners and their families were even more appreciative that the weather did not prevent the home improvement projects from being finished.
“Thank you for all your hard work, even through the bad weather. I saw you all covered in mud one day,” said the niece of one Highland Park homeowner.
Heber Dunkle, the lead contractor for camp this year, said he saw the teens offering up many hardships as sacrifices. “One of our crews had a really rough day, and they were so patient and kind,” he said.
“I’m so proud of them for getting the work done despite all the obstacles put in their path,” Dunkle added. “They were like living saints today.”
Work and faith intertwined
The goal of Work Camp was to bring about a deepening of faith along with the hard work. Each day started with daily Mass. Each day ended with praise and worship, spiritual talks, and fellowship.
One evening’s program included adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the chance to go to confession. Live music, led by John Hopke, played in the background during adoration.
Alex Neumann, from the New River Valley Cluster parishes, said adoration was one of her favorite parts of the week. “Usually when you go, it’s dead silent in the church, but here with praise and worship music, it was really cool,” she said.
There was also a chapel that was open for everyone at Peninsula Catholic. One of the teens said everyone from his parish woke up early to pray in the chapel and spend time before the Blessed Sacrament.
Shanahan said one of the teens was grieving after recently losing a loved one, and he saw firsthand how the teen received a lot of grace from the camp community that week. “All the guys started praying in the chapel as a group,” said the seminarian.
Christy Owen, a home base volunteer from Our Lady of Lourdes, Richmond, said she hopes the presence of the campus ministers and seminarians will be pivotal in the teens’ faith.
“It was so great to see them building relationship with the kids, and helping bridge the gap because they are all so young and have so much passion for Christ,” said Owen.
“It’s especially great to see the example of the young men,” Owen added. “We need our young men to stand up for our faith.”
Numerous teens said they saw Jesus throughout the week. “I saw Jesus in all the residents we helped,” said one girl.
“The best part of the week was seeing the smile on her face when she saw the work we did,” said Paul Young, from St. Michael the Archangel, Glen Allen.
“I learned that no matter how much you have to give, it’s enough for people who have less,” added Young.
“I learned that there are a lot of big challenges in life, but being around good people and having God really helps you through it,” said Sophia Tremper, from Church of the Epiphany, Richmond.
“Continue to let God use you as he has used you this week,” said Tyler, before giving each crew member a big hug and saying goodbye.
Explore more of the week through photos of Diocesan Work Camp.