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Group Workcamps connects country with community
Elaine Blaisdell
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Fri Jul 08, 2011, 11:45 PM EDT
Cresaptown — CRESAPTOWN — Mingled with the bangs and whirs of hammers, saws and drills were the sounds of laughter and music in Allegany County this week as 240 youths and about 10 adults from throughout the United States gathered to rehabilitate houses at 32 separate sites.
The group responsible for the rehab projects is called Group Workcamps Foundation, a home repair youth mission camp based in Colorado.
“We have come here to make a difference. We have come here wanting to serve,” said Eric Lohe, Workcamps director, who hails from Indianapolis. “Each week has a theme,” Lohe said, “and the theme for this week was connecting with God, with one another and local residents.”
On Friday at 9 a.m., about 30 of Workcamps youths and adults convened for their last official day of work at several sites in Cresaptown, namely 12516 North Cresap St. and 14212 and 14218 Cunningham Drive.
At a house on Cresap Street, Workcamps volunteers painted the entire house and installed a wheelchair ramp for resident Loudoun Baker, who had previously used a sheet of plywood for a ramp.
For some Workcamps volunteers, the fun in serving others is infectious.
“Everyone is really high energy. I love being around teens. It’s contagious,” said Tom King, an adult from Warwick, N.Y., who participated with Workcamps for the first time. “I heard about it all the time at church. I didn’t know what I was missing until now. I was a firefighter during 9-11 and I met a guy here who was a firefighter as well and we have been sharing stories. 9-11 was the worst week and this was the best week.”
Residents also enjoyed the time they spent with the Workcamps volunteers.
“It was blast,” said Baker.
“He chipped in and bought us all pizza one day,” shouted one of the Workcamps volunteers.
On Cunningham Drive, members of the Workcamps worked on finishing both back and front decks for resident Lisa Twigg. Working at the Cunningham Drive site were Elsie Holman, a ninth-grader from Cleveland and Peter Wajda a 10th-grader from Hudson Valley, N.Y.
Holman enjoyed the Workcamps so much she decided to come back for a second time. This was a first time experience for Wajda, but he enjoyed it so much he plans to come back.
“I came last year and I had a blast. I’m sad it’s my last day but I’m glad I got to meet some new friends. I’m going to miss them. I’m also glad that I got to know people from my youth group better,” said Holman.
Wajada, who also echoed Holman’s sentiments said, “I learned a lot of practical skills that I can use. I learned how to build a deck. I hope to come back next year.”
Lohe explained that the youths are intermingled so that they can meet new people that aren’t in their youth groups.
Allegany County Human Resource Development Commission, which is a co-sponsor for the project, learned about Workcamps through a referal from the Garrett County Community Action Agency. As co-sponsor, HRDC is responsible for surveying each site to determine if the scope of work falls under project guidelines. It provides funding for materials, prepares work descriptions for selected homes, arranges for delivery of materials, conducts post-week cleanup, makes arrangements to finish incomplete jobs and to coordinates the borrowing of ladders, according to Susan Malone, director of community resources and housing at HRDC.
Sites for the Workcamps are determined by HRDC. In order to be eligible for the project, residents need to be low income, senior citizens and/or disabled. In order to determine eligible homes, applications were distributed in December and site surveys were done from February to April. The city provided funds for the project and materials were purchased from Sherwin Williams and Lowes.
“I just love it. Workcamps is fantastic,” said Twigg, who is disabled because of diabetes. “I am so very thankful for all their help. Everyone is nice and so polite. I plan to get their addresses and send them all thank you cards.”
Each of the work sites has a couple of adult volunteers, a project adviser from HRDC, a contract supervisor and site coaches who travel to each location to check to make sure the site has all the materials it needs. Two contracters from Hochard Contracting, LLC in Cumberland and C&M Construction in Barton have volunteered their time to supervise and help out with the project, explained Ken Rafferty, HRDC housing rehab manager.
Workcamps members arrive on the site at about 8:45 a.m. and leave around 3:30 p.m. with a break for lunch and devotions. Workcamps members paid about $450 for the trip to help offset the cost of food, lodging and materials. Members stayed at Frostburg State University for the week. Before, leaving on Saturday, members held a get-together at FSU for Workcamps members to get know residents.
“Through this process we don’t want to just come in and do jobs. We want to come in feel like we’ve experienced what it’s like to live in the community, that we’ve gotten to know the community and that we’ve partnered with our co-sponsor to serve their residents. HRDC is still going to be here serving them long after we are gone,” said Lohe.
About 26,000 students in about 27 states participate in Workcamps for a week throughout June, July and into the beginning of August, according to Lohe. Workcamps, a nonprofit organization, was started in 1977 as home repair project in Loveland, Colo., in response to the tragic flood of the Big Thompson River the previous year, according to the website.
The purpose of the Workcamps is to change the lives of those they serve and also to change the lives of those serving.
For more information on Workcamps visit their website at www.groupworkcamps.com.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@timesnews.com
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