Diocese of Arlington Work Camp Follows 'Hope in Him' theme

With society in a seemingly downward spiral of sin and anti-Christian behavior, what a refreshing sight it is to see high school students volunteering their time to serve the poor.  Work Camp is a yearly event held by the Diocese of Arlington, VA, in which high school age young adults get to build wheelchair ramps, fix roofs, install new windows, replace floors, and do a variety of other services.  But more important that what they do at Work Camp, is who they become.

RESTON, VA (Catholic Online) - Every year the Diocese of Arlington, VA rallies hundreds of passionate young people to serve the needy.  Serving anyone from post-Katrina victims in Louisiana to those in need in Northern Virginia, these high school young adults come ready to help and willing to learn.  Common needs amongst the communities they serve are stable wheelchair ramps, new roofs, new shingling, window repair and replacement, new siding, new floors, plumbing, and more. 

Th diocesan youth, and the adult chaperons that lead them, come with little or no knowledge of what tasks will be required of them.  But they come willing to learn the skills necessary to make someone else's life better and they come with the passion to carry it out. 

Work Camp, as it is called, requires year-long preparation by the staff of the Diocese of Arlington, under the leadership of Bishop Paul Loverde.  Finding homes and sites that need repair, getting the building materials, and coordinating recruitment with parish youth leaders is time intensive and tough work, but staff and volunteers do it because, "it's just such an awesome experience" as one youth leader said.

This year, Work Camp was broken into two separate weeks, in order to facilitate growing interest from the Church's young adults.  The first week began June 27 in Winchester, VA and the second week began July 25 in Dumfries, VA. 

The actual Work Camp week begins with "Team Training."  Team Training involves games and obstacle courses that require each member of the team to understand and maximize their strengths, develop their weaknesses, and work together.  The different levels and types of stresses create almost instant bonds between each team, which is comprised of several young adults and a few adult chaperons.  Each team also undergoes training specific to the tasks they perform that week and safety training to ensure everybody stays injury-free.

Work Camp is not just about work, or service.  Though the name seems to imply that, the diocese strives to ensure that the week is first and foremost a week of faith development.  For Catholics, faith without works is dead, but also, works without faith are empty.  With regular mass, confession widely available, priests at the ready, frequent prayer and a theme of "Hope in Him," which resonates from Youth Bash held earlier this year, these young men and women are given the best opportunities to grow in faith and fellowship.

I was given the great honor of speaking to both Work Camp sessions this year.  After being introduced by this year's emcee, Cooper Ray, an impressive Catholic musician and speaker,  I walked on stage following a short video about myself produced by a volunteer of Work Camp.

The video revealed that I am a Catholic writer and speaker, an outdoorsman and engaged to be married--but it also revealed that I am a two-time cancer survivor. 

My first goal after getting on stage was to break up the tension.  The talk engaged the ideas of coming to the hardships and joys of life with a strong and vibrant faith.  Explaining how to get that type of faith was important, but explaining the importance of fellowship and community was equally as important, since young people always need encouragement and accountability. 

I made one point in my talk that applies to the entire experience of Work Camp. The lives of the saints are extremely similar to that of  the participants in Work Camp.  The saints were largely communal, and rooted in faith, mass, confession, prayer, and acts of service. That desire to live faith-in-action is a reason why the Church venerates the saints, yet it is the same life that we are all called to live. 

Work Camp is an excellent experience for the youth because they live the lives they are called to live--just like the saints.  They live personal and communal lives of faith while expressing the Gospel's call of service.  What better way can a young person spend a week of their summer?

Work Camp 2010 is now a part of history but let's continue to pray for these young adults, that they grow in faith and fellowship... and continue to live like saints.

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Billy Atwell contributes to Catholic Online and BreakPoint, and is a blogger for The Point. From the perspective of a two-time cancer survivor he encourages those afflicted with pain and struggling with faith. You can find all of his writings at For the Greater Glory.

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