Plans are underway for a second Eastern York Workcamp Initiative to take place from Sunday to Saturday, June 21 to 27, 2020. At the workcamp, teenagers and adults who are members of church youth groups from throughout the country will volunteer their time to repair homes of elderly, disabled, or low-income residents in the community. Colorado-based GROUP Mission Trips facilitates the workcamps so that volunteers can provide home repairs to individuals and families in need.
The first Eastern York Workcamp Initiative took place in July 2018, with approximately 188 teenagers and adults from Wisconsin, Ohio, Maine, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania working together in small groups at 24 homes in York and Lancaster counties. Among those volunteers were approximately 25 teenagers from the York Youth Revolution (YYR) youth group that meets at Faith United Methodist Church in Hallam.
YYR had participated in several workcamps in other parts of the country before applying to host a camp in Wrightsville in 2018. Several area churches and community groups formed the Eastern York Workcamp Initiative Community Team to sponsor the effort, raising funds to cover the costs of materials and coordinating area volunteers for various tasks such as providing snacks for the work crews. YYR leader Joe Bachman said that the first workcamp was such a success that the group wanted to host another.
Bachman noted that approximately 440 campers are currently signed up to serve at the 2020 Eastern York Workcamp Initiative. According to Bachman, that means the workcamp will tentatively be able to provide free home repairs and improvements at 64 residences in the local area. One adult volunteer serves alongside five students to provide guidance and instruction as the projects are completed.
Interior and exterior painting, weatherization, porch repairs, and wheelchair ramp construction are a few examples of the improvements offered. Residents interested in applying to receive assistance through the Eastern York Workcamp Initiative may contact Nadine Barret at 717-757-3998 or christchurch5main@ymail.com. The deadline to apply is Friday, Jan. 31, 2020.
Workcamp volunteers pay registration fees that are used to cover costs for food, insurance, and some building materials - all while volunteering their time and labor. The participants will be housed at Eastern York Middle School: sleeping on classroom floors, eating in the cafeteria, and enjoying evening programs in the gym.
Bachman has been a part of 13 workcamps thus far and described all of them as very positive experiences. "It's honestly so much more than the work," shared Bachman. "To see youth from all over the country come to our area and show love and kindness to our residents is beyond words."
To learn more, readers may visit http://www.groupmissiontrips.com.
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