ARTICLES

Work Camp set June 23-29 draws youth to help others

by Brody Blackl
special to The Catholic Virginian

This June the diocese’s Office for Evangelization of Youth and Young Adults is offering its second Work Camp for high school youth.

Work Camp is a week-long experience that enables high school youth to serve their brothers and sisters in need while having the opportunity to grow in their Catholic faith. This year it will be held June 23-29 in Greene County, west of Charlottesville.

Participants work alongside adults to complete significant home improvement projects aimed at making the homes safer, warmer, drier, and greener. Projects include building wheelchair ramps, improving walkways, replacing deteriorating stairs, sealing leaky windows, and providing proper insulation around windows and doors.

Each work site has a crew of five youth participants, one adult chaperone, and one “contractor.” Contractors are individuals who are experienced with home improvement projects, but not necessarily contractors by trade.

Thanks to the generosity of the Annual Diocesan Appeal, the Office for Evangelization of Youth and Young Adults hosted the first Work Camp last summer, where 71 youths from nine parishes in various parts of the diocese came together to help residents throughout the Charlottesville area.

The residents were thrilled with the results and benefited greatly from the hard work of the high school students. The experience also had a lasting impact on the participants.

When asked about Work Camp 2011, Romil Pineda of St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlottesville, said “My favorite part would either have to be break time or the time spent actually working. I grew in my faith a lot and the reconciliation was great.”

Initial team building activities followed by work projects created strong bonds within teams.

The 2012 Diocesan Work Camp will aim to enhance the lives of those in the community by working on similar improvement projects. It will also provide experiences to strengthen the faith of the teenagers. Mass will be offered every morning and there will be an opportunity for Reconciliation. There will also be small group discussions throughout the week.

Steve Angrisano, a nationally acclaimed speaker, musician, and youth minister who led the March for Life youth rallies in Washington, will be the host.

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