Helping the Less Fortunate Members of Society

Helping the Less Fortunate Members of Society

Over the past five years I have participated in an organization called "Group Workcamps" through the St. Helena's / St. Mary's Parish. This experience has helped me to grow greatly personally and spiritually. Every year, a group from the church goes out to a small community to repair homes of the elderly, disabled or less fortunate. By participating in this group over the past five years, I have learned many traits including leadership, respect and empathy, as well as building wonderful friendships with others all over the country. Besides these, I have also learned valuable skills such as carpentry, budgeting, planning, and public speaking.

The Workcamp year begins in mid August, when the group for the year assembles for the first time. This is an introductory meeting for the new members and a recap of the previous year for the veterans. At this time we decide where to go the following summer, figure out what we will do for fund-raisers, and how much money we will need to raise over the next 10 to 12 months based upon how many people will be going.

Over the course of the next year or so, it is the responsibility of everyone involved to assist in the raising of the $6,000 or so that will be needed for us to pay for travel expenses, and have some left over in case of an emergency. In order for all of this to come together, everyone needs to take some responsibility in acquiring donations and sponsorships. Every member of our group needs to bring in at least $300 in personal sponsorships. However, since there are usually only around ten of us going, the other $3,000 doesn't just come out of nowhere. We rise before the sun to prepare pancakes for a breakfast in the church hall after Mass. We stand along Route 4 in a drizzling rain trying to convince people to let us wash their cars. We build bird feeders for fun and profit in a frigid shop. We spend sweltering June afternoons in the church parking lot nailing shingles to the roof of a shed we will sell. We present a slide show of last year's Workcamp to the congregation and request donations.

After a retreat and send-off Mass, the real test of our friendship begins.