Catholic Heart Work Camp is national program run through different Catholic churches across the nation. Roanoke Catholic, located near the downtown area of Roanoke, has been hosting this camp that serves cities across the nation for five years now and we have been blessed to work with their mission groups since they arrived in 2011. The CHWC mission statement for their members to “be a part of a MISSION to serve. You will WORK, SERVE TIRELESSLY, THINK DEEPLY, CELEBRATE MASS and build relationships. You will dance, laugh till your side hurts, pray, change on the inside and be a part of transforming lives and communities.” This statement really sums up what the organization and their participants are all about!
We proposed a project for a group of 6 volunteers and they came ready to work on Monday, July 18th when the camp began its week of service. Everything we asked was done with a smile on their face and a sense of mission in their hearts. Four young men and women and their two wonderful leaders, Howard and Diane, helped us to clean both of our buses, both the inside and outside of ALL of the windows at our 9th Street Club location, cleaned baseboards, landscaped, played and got along with our students. They worked tirelessly and with a sense of purpose. These young people and their leaders were truly an inspiration and a joy to work with. They were a prime example of what happens when you care for your local community and when that community is larger than your home town. From Connecticut to Michigan, to Maryland our group of volunteers came from across the country to help out The Boys & Girls Clubs and we could not be more thankful for the work and time they gave to our kids and organization.
We are so thankful to Beth Derringer and the crew who came out to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia. Beth is the director of Catholic Heart Workcamp in Roanoke, and a person who we want to sincerely thank for continuing to work with our program. We look forward to hosting one of these wonderful groups of mission workers next year!