Annual WorkCamp Puts Faith into Action

By Linda Busetti
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the issue of 7/4/02)

In Lancaster, Va., the Hudson family’s four little girls will have a new bedroom to sleep in and bathroom to wash in as a result of the incredible efforts of a network of untiring volunteers at the 11th annual diocesan WorkCamp, June 22-28.

The family’s home — a rented, 30-year-old trailer at the end of a dirt road — required major repairs. Two bedroom floors were so badly damaged by water that WorkCamp crew No. 15, supervised by contractors Sam Firebaugh and Fred Turek, had to tear out the floorboards, as well as gut the entire bathroom.

Inside the trailer home, Emily Hudson proudly showed a photograph of her four daughters, noting one had perfect school attendance this year. She and her husband are hard-working people. Emily drives a school bus in addition to working another job.

Outside, in the mid-90-degree heat, Richard Russo of St. John Neumann Parish, pulled out old windows while two other crew members power-sprayed bleach solution on the trailer’s outer walls in preparation for a new coat of paint.

Father Michael Taylor, chaplain at Bishop O’Connell High School, arrived on the site and helped the crew unload a roll of new blue carpeting for the Hudson’s living room.

When the Hudson girls arrived home that evening they would find bags of new toys the volunteers had brought for them.

Months ahead of WorkCamp, organizers contacted social services agencies to identify families and elderly folks in Virginia’s Northern Neck who desperately needed home repairs. Building contractors — master electricians and plumbers among them — traveled to job sites in February and March to evaluate the scope of projects and what supplies would be needed.

This year, 115 teens from throughout the diocese traveled with youth ministers and young adult leaders to donate their time, enthusiasm and talent to people in the Montross area.

Like typical teenagers, they describe their WorkCamp experience as "cool," but it is really very extraordinary to see teens like Ashleigh hammering on a wheelchair ramp in the noon heat or Wil learning how to make sure a porch board is plumb.

For adult volunteer Bill Lange of St. John Neumann Parish, this was his fifth WorkCamp. He says it is "the most meaningful thing I do all year."

Volunteer contractors, such as master plumber and electrician James Healy of Christ the Redeemer Parish in Sterling, worked alongside them, overseeing six-person crews of teen workers.

At the busy nerve center of "homebase" — Montross Middle School — project director Pat Holliday kept tabs on how jobs were progressing, who needed a delivery of paint or what site could use a newly donated piece of linoleum. Somehow everything comes together, she explained. "It’s God’s plan, not mine," Holliday said.

The school became the workers’ home away from home — kids slept on mattresses in classrooms. Adult volunteers from St. Michael Parish in Annandale and Good Shepherd Parish in Alexandria staffed the kitchen, preparing huge breakfasts and nourishing dinners for hungry teens. Volunteer nurses and security guards kept the kids healthy and safe.

Each day began with 6:30 a.m. Mass in front of the school. After breakfast, WorkCampers lugged wood, tools, paint, cleaning supplies, donated items from parishes and endless water coolers into vans for the up-to-50-minute rides to job sites. Those remaining behind at homebase gave the work crews a water balloon barrage sendoff.

The bonds of friendship and humor were very strong among crew members on job sites. Although they arrived with their parish youth groups, teens were separated and randomly placed in one of 20 crews. WorkCampers had spent six hours on Sunday participating in team-building activities before ever going out on work sites.

On Tuesday afternoon, Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde arrived at WorkCamp and was promptly wisked away by Kevin Bohli, director of the diocesan Office of Youth Ministry, on a tour of three work sites. After a ride past miles of rolling cornfields, the bishop arrived at Juanita’s home. Workers had just come down off the roof where they had replaced old shingles. At the second site, the bishop’s arrival was eagerly expected. He received a very warm greeting. "You’re the one who loves Jesus," the resident exclaimed as the bishop approached her home.

The work crew was busy indoors and out. They had already replaced linoleum flooring and put in insulation. Outside, Bishop Loverde stopped to chat with Joey, who was mixing cement.

Anthony and Tim of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Potomac Falls greeted the bishop from the roof of the third home he visited. Although they had spent the day removing shingles under scorching sun, the crew joked happily with the bishop.

One of the crew members told Bishop Loverde the resident of the home, Miss Emma, was celebrating her 88th birthday that day. He entered her darkened bedroom along with her daughter and wished the bedridden woman a happy birthday. "God bless you," the thin elderly woman answered.

On Wednesday morning, the workers rose early and eager again. This morning was special because Bishop Loverde was celebrating Mass for them. As they prepared for another day of painting, hammering and scrubbing for people they didn’t even know the previous week, Bishop Loverde recalled for them the very appropriate words of St. Francis, "Preach the Gospel all the time — use words if necessary."

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