Campers from across United States to improve homes in Youngstown

By Harold Gwin

The campers will do painting and carpentry projects on homes in the city.

YOUNGSTOWN — The planning is done, money raised and all that remains is for some 400 young people from around the country to come to the city to bring some new life to some old homes.

The young people, some from as far away as Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Iowa, will be part of the Mill Creek Group Workcamp June 22-28.

They will come ready to work on the homes of elderly, disabled and low-income Youngstown residents.

The camp is being organized by Western Reserve United Methodist Church in Canfield in conjunction with the Group Workcamps Foundation, a Colorado-based, nonprofit, faith-based mission which handles camper registration and coordination process.

The theme for the camp is “Love Out Loud.”

The local organizers chose Youngstown for the work effort and received 160 applications from homeowners needing improvements to their houses. The list was narrowed to 50 definite projects and 21 back-ups, if time permits.

The campers will be split up into crews of four or five, each with one or two adult supervisors, and will undertake interior and exterior painting projects and such carpentry tasks as porches, handrails, wheelchair ramps and step replacement.

They don’t do roofs, plumbing or electrical work.

They’re paying their own way. Each is contributing $399 to be a part of the experience.

The entire camp will be housed at Chaney High School on South Hazelwood Avenue for the week. The city school district will be reimbursed for custodial and related costs.

Western Reserve needed to raise $25,000 to help buy materials for the camp but wound up collecting $40,000 in donations.

“Mill Creek Workcamp took on a life of its own,” said the Rev. Russell Adams, pastor of Western Reserve United Methodist.

Joyce Aey, co-chairwoman of the camp, said she was surprised by the outpouring of community support.

When people heard about it, they gave what they could, she said.

The church congregation embraced it as did the entire community, the Rev. Mr. Adams said, adding, “It’s just been wonderful.”

There have been some large sponsors who are donating funds and materials, and a lot of individuals who are contributing to the effort, said Carrie Boyer, co-chairwoman of the project.

The additional money will be used to add some wheelchair ramps to the project list and to provide “Thank You” gift bags to the campers, she said.

“We thought raising money was the hardest part,” said Darlene Wells, co-chairwoman of the hospitality committee. “Turned out to be the easiest.”

The most difficult task was deciding who gets help and who doesn’t, said her husband, Cecil Wells, chairman of site writing for the camp.

People’s homes were selected based on camper safety and the amount of work to be done, he said, adding, “We tried to go to the homes where we can make a difference in somebody’s life.”

The amount of work needed by some homes is just too great to be included, he said, adding that the camp may still be in need of some extension ladders. Anyone offering assistance can call (330) 507-5805.

Western Reserve United Methodist is no stranger to group work camps. It has sent crews to 10 of them in the past.

This time, there won’t be any Western Reserve crews working. Church members will be serving on the greeting team, welcoming and assisting visiting campers. Some will also serve as site coaches at various work locations.

The organizers said it was largely at the urging of church member Brian Baldwin, now a graduate student at Ohio State University, that the church undertook the task of sponsoring a camp.

He’s been to all 10 camps that church members have attended, the last few as an adult leader.

“People come back really renewed in their faith,” Baldwin said, explaining his reason for wanting a camp here. “We want to share that experience with local people.”

“I’m actually really excited,” Baldwin said. “We’ve been working on this for years. It’s restored my faith in Youngstown.”

gwin@vindy.com