Mifflinburg Area 2010 Group Workcamp Volunteers Needed
First Lutheran Church in Mifflinburg will be hosting Workcamp in the Mifflinburg area this summer. They are in need of volunteers in the areas listed below. Here are some opportunities for churches to participate. Anyone who is interested can contact Kim Sawyer at kksawyer@dejazzd.com or (570) 966-1603 to sign up.
Site Writers (January, February, March)
Volunteers who are “construction savvy” will visit pre-selected sites to determine what repairs will be done to the homes, determine if the work fits the workcamp program (cost, skill, time), use workcamp forms, measure & list materials that are needed, and access any safety precautions. We will provide a 2-hour training the week of January 11th.
Hospitality
No construction experience necessary! All you need is a friendly smile, a caring heart and willingness to help make our 400-450 guests comfortable while in Mifflinburg. This committee is divided into sub-committees that are listed below. Feel free to sign up for one or many areas.
Adopt a Site ~ Andy Long, Chair
As soon as the word gets out that we are hosting a camp, locals start calling asking how they can help…they can “adopt a site” by delivering a cold watermelon one day, cookies another, pizza one day, or just encouraging the campers at that particular site. If they cannot work at the site due to liability issues, they can encourage and support! This committee would match sites with those who would like to do this!
Adopt a Youth Group ~ Pam Baker, Chair
Campers come from out of the area so they may want to order pizza for devotion time or a birthday cake for someone celebrating that week or just need something at the store but don’t have a vehicle to make a trip to Wal-Mart or the Dollar Store, they would call their designee who would be their very own angel this week.
Adult Leader Happy Hour
We need to boost our adult leaders. They worked hard to get to camp, drove the kiddos, spent sleepless nights tending to their group. With awesome adults we get devoted teens! The adults have a mandatory meeting Sunday afternoon and again Tuesday afternoon. Perhaps some snacks and tea/lemonade would be nice to say “THANKS” to them as individuals who took vacation time to sleep on the floor with teens!
Banners
Individuals crafted banners for the 2005 camp and arranged with the borough crew to have them hung along Chestnut Street…these banners are “somewhere” and need to be found and arrangements made for another hanging!
Breakfast/Dinner Aides ~ Polly Horning, Chair
We hire the school cafeteria staff to prepare and serve the meals, once again they are kept so busy keeping up with 450+ campers…they are unable to get out into the cafeteria and pick up a piece of silverware that may have fallen on the floor or to wipe off a table so another group of campers can sit and eat. The cafeteria at the Intermediate School WILL NOT hold 450+ campers at one time, we need to make sure the tables are wiped off and ready to serve others as quickly as possible. The campers are responsible for clearing their own things but sometimes they will forget a milk carton or to wipe up a small spill on the table. This committee will organize a schedule and enlist local volunteers to be at the cafeteria for breakfast and dinners (remember Wednesday we are at the park and will not need help that evening)…a great way to interact with the campers and encourage and support them.
Custodial Support ~ Betty Hook, Chair
We pay for one custodian to work throughout the week…keeping the school maintained for a week with 450+ sleeping at the school is tough…we ask all campers to put their room trashcan outside the classroom door when they leave in the morning…this committee would walk around with a cart and empty the trashcans, put a new bag in them, make sure toilet paper and paper towels are filled and just serve as a backup to help the custodian.
Gift Bags ~ Sandy Padlo, Chair
Upon registration on Sunday, we want to give each camper a small bag as a welcome gift…it can have candy, a notepad (for care cards), a pen or pencil, hand sanitizer, chap stick, coupons for local establishments? We need volunteers to help sew these simple drawstring bags NOW!
Lunch Prep (in the morning) ~ Irene Henninger, Chair
Each crew (75 crews) will have one member who serves as the “Break maker”…this individual is responsible to eat their breakfast quickly and then retrieve their cooler and water jug and go to the “lunch line.” Here they will gather a loaf of bread, a bag of cold meat, condiments, chips or cookies, fruit, drink and then go to the outside area and fill their water jug with a bag of ice and water for the day, then drag or carry it all to their transportation. The lunch prep committee will enlist help from volunteers to help with this line each morning, making sure the bread doesn’t go into the cooler first and the drinks thrown on top of the bread! A volunteer can greet the break maker with a “Good Morning” and help them fill their cooler or jug and start their day in a good way!
Signs/Billboards
Imagine taking the exit on Rt. 80 or turning onto Rt. 45 and seeing a sign or a billboard saying “WELCOME WORKCAMPERS” or on Saturday when they leave the school they would see “THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DID.” This committee will contact businesses and arrange for messages on their billboards and make signs to post in rural areas!
Ladders
Ladders! Ladders! Ladders! We need volunteers to make sure we have ladders for every site. The lumber store will deliver most ladders and bring them back to the lumberyard. You need to get ladders loaned to us, inventory them and assign them as per need.
Follow Up Crew (Week following camp)
Despite all efforts to complete all projects, some just don’t get done and the campers need to return home. If you are willing to finish any of the projects after camp is over, WE WANT YOU! You can work at your leisure, no one to hassle you and all supplies are provided. Great for families too!
Directions (May & June)
Remember these campers are from out of the area, they won’t know what “turn left at 4 Bell Church means” so we need all directions checked/rechecked!
