Nonprofit teaches youth to give back by assisting low-income families
A group of 2012 campers from the Good Works Summer Youth Work Camp team up to help a low-income homeowner make improvements.
Good Works, Inc., a Christian nonprofit that exists to improve living conditions for low-income families in Chester County, is seeking homeowners in need of assistance. The reason? Its Summer Youth Work Camp for senior-high volunteers is about to begin.
Sixty youth and adults will participate this week, spending eight hours a day for five days working under the direction of skilled craftsman and youth group leaders from their congregations. A second week of camp will be held July 22-29.
Now in its twenty-third year, Summer Youth Work Camp has touched the lives of hundreds of young people and countless homeowners. Because of the campers’ service, new windows have been installed, bathrooms added or updated, drywall hung and painted, new kitchen cabinets installed, roofs and floors repaired and replaced. By the end of camp, seven homes in the Coatesville area will have been improved by these enthusiastic volunteer, according to organizers.
During the week-long camps, the youth, who are supported by skilled technical staff who ensure that the work is done well and safely, stay at two local churches: Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd and Coatesville Bible Fellowship. Evening programs are planned to build camaraderie and deepen spirituality. An evening picnic toward the end of each week, with both volunteers and homeowners in attendance, is often considered one of the week’s highlights, organizers say.
Work Camp Director Bill Richardson, an earth and space science teacher at Owen J. Roberts High School, has led the camp for 10 years. He believes a Good Works camp experience is valuable because it allows young people to recognize that there are folks living nearby that need help and that they can make a positive difference through their efforts.
If you think you might qualify for the group’s free services, contact Good Works at 610-383-6311 to begin the application process. For more information, visit www.goodworksinc.org.
