Welcome to Workcamp 2009!
June 20-June 26, 2009
Winchester Virginia - Milbrook High School
T-Shirt Designs
Applications
Workcamp is a combination of an intense spiritual experience in which you grow in your faith, and an opportunity to put your faith into action by working within a crew to repair the homes of those less fortunate. There will be Mass every day, a wonderful evening program which will combine opportunities for you to grow in your faith and to have an awesome time. The music is great and the opportunity to spend a week with 500 Catholic teenagers and over 300 adults in an intentional Catholic community is one that has been called “life changing” by many.
At Workcamp you will be assigned to work crew comprised of teens from other parishes. You will work on your site Monday – Thursday. When you arrive at Workcamp you will find out what your project is and who is in your crew. There will be 100 home-sites worked on. You must be able to attend the entire week. We depart Saturday late afternoon and return Friday late afternoon.
As a parish we can bring 15-20 teens. If you want to apply complete the parish registration form including the letter to Father Saunders and submit it no later than December 3rd. Applications will be dated in the order they have been received. If necessary we will establish a waiting list.
Remember that you are committing to the entire preparation process January – June. This will consist of mandatory monthly meetings and participating in fundraising and other events. Our mission is to have you fully prepared for Workcamp so that you have the best experience possible. We also want our group to know each other well before we get to Workcamp.
Accommodations:
We will be sleeping on the floor of classrooms in the High School. Bring your sleeping bag and air mattress. We will be sleeping with our Parish. Girls in one wing, Boys in another. All meals will be provided for you.
Workcamp is a huge endeavor planned by the Arlington Diocese Office of Youth Ministry. As a parish we need to fundraise approximately $14,000. The total cost of Workcamp is over $300,000. The cost per teen is $450 – When you submit your application you need to include a check for $150. We will strive to fundraise all the additional money that we need. Expenses that we fundraise for include: van rentals, registration fees for the adult volunteers, gas, tools, supply baskets, disposable work supplies, van-proofing supplies, parish t-shirts, and dinner on the way to Workcamp Saturday night. Any additional money that we raise will be given to Workcamp to offset additional expenses for materials. If the $150 deposit is a financial hardship for your family please let us know.
This year we will be closer to home than we have been in the last 6 years so there are more opportunities for adults from OLOH to participate in Workcamp. Some roles require a full week commitment and some a few hours. Adults: please prayerfully consider what role you would like to participate in this year. You can let us know by January how you would like to be involved. You don’t have to be a parent of a Workcamp teen to become involved. Everyone is welcome.
Adult Crew Leader (chaperone):
Adult Crew Leaders are adult volunteers who are 25 year or older and work well with high school aged young people. Adult Crew Leaders make Work Camp possible. They attend the entire work camp (Sat-Friday). An adult crew leader is assigned to a work site with 5 youth, and a contractor. The youth will not be from Our Lady of Hope they will be from other parishes. Back at home base the Adult then becomes an adult chaperone and participates in all evening activities with our parish. There really is no down time at Work Camp at all. It is a high energy week with many rewards, but come prepared to be exhausted by week’s end! You don’t need to have any contracting experience to be an Adult Crew Leader. Your primary purpose on the work site will be to ensure the safety and well being of the youth, to minister to them and to help them grow in their faith.
The adult chaperones/crew leaders that come to Workcamp will attend our monthly meetings with the teens. These begin in January. There is a mandatory Diocesan adult training day June 6th 2009 at St. Raymond’s in Springfield for Adult crew leaders. This meeting is very informative and will be invaluable in your preparation! All adult crew leaders must be in compliance with the Diocesan Policy for the protection of children and VIRTUS.
The number of adult leaders that we need depends on the number of teens that we bring with us. We need one adult male for every 5 male teens and one adult female for every five female teens. For example if we bring 6 boys and 6 girls we need 2 adult males and 2 adult females. We are allowed to bring approximately 15-20 teens.
Contractors:
These are adults (21yrs +) who are proficient in the needed home repair skills and can work well with young people. For every 5 young people we bring we need one lead contractor. Skilled people in any of the following areas are greatly needed: bricklaying, carpentry, ceramic tile installation (floor and wall) concrete repair and installation, door replacement, dry wall repair and installation, electrical repairs, fence installation, repairs to mobile home roofs and skirting, flooring installation (sheet linoleum, vinyl tile, carpet), gutter/downspout installation, glass replacement, painting (interior and exterior), plumbing, roofing, (shingle, roll) storm window installation, window replacement. You don’t need to be a “professional” contractor to participate. If you work well with teens and know how to fix things at your house you’re prepared and invited to Workcamp. You will be matched up with a project that you have the skills to perform. We can bring all the contractors we can find. They are really vital – without them the work wouldn’t get done. Contractors don’t have to be in VIRTUS compliance. If you would like to help with site visits prior to Workcamp there is a need for that too. Finding the right homes where we can serve the residents and get the job done safely in four days of work is the priority.
Other Roles:
- Coordinator of Mother’s Day Flower Sale: Order flowers, tissue paper, ribbons, etc. schedule teens for selling flowers at each mass, follow-up with teens prior to the mass to remind them. Collect money and turn it in to the office.
- Assist with Rosary Sales: table setup, schedule teens for masses for sales, schedule teens for speaking at mass. Collect money and turn into office.
- As needed Assistant: copies, assembling packets, calling teens, calling parents for contributions to pot-luck dinner meetings. Supply shopper.
- Host of Return Home Party: When we leave Workcamp we come directly to the return home party. We need a family or several families to coordinate that special event. This is held in a family’s home. Family members and friends come and the teens share their experiences with the group. It is a highlight for the teens and their parents.
- Security Personnel: Adults (usually parents of Work Campers) who come to Work Camp for one assigned evening and provide security for the teens while adult crew leaders shower and have dinner. The shift will be approximately from 3pm – 7 pm. We need a minimum of 5 men and 5 women. You can stay and attend some of evening program if you wish at the end of your shift..
- Nurses: Nurses are needed at home base. Full to partial week.
- Pit Crew: (assist with the sound/lights/video at Work Camp Program)
- Work Camp Set-Up: Assist with setting up the high school for all the teens arrival.
- Tool Room: Organize tools and help distribute them to the crews.
I have been the Stakeholder (Parish Organizer) for Workcamp for the past 6 years. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I can be reached at  melia05@verizon.net or call my cell phone – Debbie Melia 703-220-8864
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