Diocese of Arlington to sponsor WorkCamp

MEDIA ADVISORY: Next week, the Diocese of Arlington will sponsor WorkCamp, a week-long volunteer program for high school students in Northern Virginia. 

WorkCamp brings together nearly 600 students and 500 adult volunteers to help disadvantaged members of our community. From Monday, June 19 to Friday, June 23, volunteers will work on more than 175 projects in Frederick, Warren, Clarke and Shenandoah counties, as well as the city of Winchester. Five additional projects are located in West Virginia.

The projects are geared toward helping make homes warmer, safer and drier. They will also help many seniors 'age in place.' Specific examples of the projects include: 

  • More than 100 windows and eight doors to be replaced 
  • 39 decks and egress stairs to be rebuilt or repaired to provide a safe exit
  • Eight ADA compliant wheelchair ramps to be constructed or repaired 
  • Nine mobile home roofs to be coated to protect from deterioration and seal minor leaks
  • Seven flooring projects to be completed
  • Seven shingle roofs to be replaced for protection from the elements
  • Two concrete walkways to be installed for safer wheelchair access 
  • Major trash removal from several sites to ensure a safe living environment for residents

 

The projects also include working with two non-profits in the region:

  • NW Works - Their mission is to empower adults with disabilities and individuals with barriers to employment to build skills and secure and sustain meaningful employment. The projects here will support NW Works but will also allow for the Knights of Columbus to provide fresh produce to those in need at their weekly food distribution.
  • Evans Home - They provide a home for homeless teenagers in Winchester. 

 

During the week, students sleep at Frederick County Middle School. Diocesan workers construct temporary showers for the students to clean up at the end of the day. The volunteers include several students with disabilities, including a young woman from the Options Program at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School in Potomac Shores. The Options Program allows students with intellectual disabilities to be included in everyday activities.  

Volunteers have been preparing for the WorkCamp projects since earlier this year, learning how to use certain equipment and fundraising to help off-set expenditures. The total value of the work performed is expected to be more than $1.5 million.

Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington will be on site with the teen volunteers on Tuesday, June 20.  

A video montage illustrating all the work done at last year's successful WorkCamp can be seen here.