Diocesan Work Camp
Saturday 06-17-2023 - Friday 06-23-2023
All Day
Register Here!
Youth Registration Form
Adult Registration Form
Contractor Registration Form
Home Base Volunteer Registration Form
The last day to register is May 14, 2023 at 11:59pm
What is the Diocesan Work Camp?
The Diocesan Work Camp is a weeklong camp experience for high school youth to serve our brothers and sisters in need by making their homes safer, warmer, drier, and greener while also having the opportunity to grow in our Catholic faith.
Work Camp is not just a youth event. It is an opportunity for parishes to make a difference in the lives of those in need right here in our diocese while encouraging youth to answer their baptismal call to serve others.
Who should attend Work Camp?
Work Camp is open to all high school-aged youth (rising 9th graders through graduated 12th graders). The week is going to require that youth give of themselves to serve others and to grow spiritually. It will be a challenging week that will provide many learning opportunities for participants.
Where and when is the Diocesan Work Camp?
The Diocesan Work Camp will be held Saturday, June 17, 2023, through Friday, June 23, 2023 in the Newport News and Williamsburg area. The work projects will take place in the surrounding community. The Peninsula Catholic High School will serve as our home base where participants and adults will sleep, eat, and participate in evening programming.
Why the change in location?
Since 2016 Work Camp has been held in the far Southwest part of the Diocese. This allowed us to serve and support the community in Appalachia, which was truly a blessing. Between some staffing changes and new opportunities that were presented to us, we discerned that this year was the time to make a change and move to a different part of the Diocese, with the hopes that we will rotate through different locations in the coming years
Our location for summer of 2023 is Hampton Roads! We were able to partner with a local housing service to help identify projects for our participants to work on. While this is a different way to find our worksites than what we’ve done before, it does not alter the basics of what Work Camp is: an opportunity for high schoolers to live out their Catholic faith by serving those who are in need.
What is the structure of Work Camp?
Each day of Work Camp will have a full schedule of events. Below you will find a brief overview of the activities for the week.
Saturday: Arrival, Check-In, Opening Program
Sunday: Mass, Teambuilding, Work Site Visit
Monday – Wednesday: Daily Mass, Work Day, Evening Program
Thursday: Daily Mass, Work Day, Dinner with Residents, Evening Program
Friday: Daily Mass, Closing Program, Departure
Youth will have the opportunity to serve alongside youth from other parishes during the week. We will spend some time getting to know each other and learning how to work as a team. We will also review general safety and instructions and have the opportunity to prepare for the specific site locations. Each day we will celebrate Mass together. At various points throughout the week, there will be the opportunity for Eucharistic Adoration and Reconciliation. Evening program will have a wide variety of components and will be geared towards helping participants understand what the Catholic Church teaches about social justice. Each day there will also be the opportunity for each parish to gather to process the experiences of the day.
Due to the structure of the week all participants must be able to attend the whole week of Work Camp. Full participation is expected from check-in time on Saturday until after the closing programming on Friday.
What are the requirements for adult participants (chaperones)?
For this event, 1 adult is required for every 6 youth (or fraction thereof) who are participating in Work Camp. Adult participants are responsible for looking out for the well-being of youth participants both at home base and at the work sites. Knowledge of home improvement is not needed to serve in this role. Because of the work we will be doing, adults should be able to work in environments that do not have air conditioning, be able to lift light-weight items, and be able to drive. Chaperones must be 21 years old before the beginning of Work Camp.
Each adult volunteer participant must be in compliance with the Diocesan Safe Environment Policies, which includes completing the following:
- Screening One (every 5 years)
- VIRTUS training (once)
Please note that parish employees and Catholic school employees have additional screening that must be completed.
What are the requirements for adult home base volunteers?
One adult home base volunteer is required for each parish bringing 10 or more youth participants. These individuals will need to serve in various roles at home base such as Work Camp set-up and clean-up, kitchen assistance, running team building activities, performing office related tasks, running errands, etc. Home base volunteers must be at least 20 years old before the beginning of Work Camp. Individuals in this role cannot serve as a chaperone or a contractor.
Home base volunteers are required to serve from Friday afternoon, June 16 to Friday, June 23, 2023. They will need separate transportation from their parish vehicles and will need to arrive between 12noon to 3pm on June 16, 2023. Carpooling may be available for volunteers coming from the same area.
What are the requirements for contractors? What is a contractor?
All parishes are required to bring 1 contractor for every 6 youth participants. A contractor is an adult who has home improvement knowledge, skills, and experience and is willing to teach and assist youth in completing work projects during Work Camp. Potential contractors will need to be approved by the Work Camp Coordinator and the lead contractors before they can serve in this role in order to ensure the safety of all participants, residents, and potential contractors. Approval can be obtained by submitting a Contractor application to [email protected]. A brief phone interview by our lead contractor may be required for approval. Contractors will be asked to provide their own transportation and specialty tools needed for their work site. Contractors are required Saturday, June 17 through Friday, June 23, 2023.
Contractors will have the option for having overnight accommodations provided at the home base location. Contractors are not required to stay overnight. There will be a required contractors meeting that will happen in the spring.
Any parishes who cannot provide a contractor to meet the minimum guidelines below will be charged an additional $750 per missing contractor so the Diocese can provide a contractor. The Diocese reserves the right to reduce the number of youth participants for a parish if an appropriate number of contractors cannot be obtained.
Youth/Adult Ratio Table
The following breakdown chart should be used when determining number of youth with the corresponding adults (chaperones, contractors and home base)
| Youth Participants | Adult Chaperones | Contractor | Home Base Volunteer |
| 1-5 | 1 | – | – |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | – |
| 7-9 | 2 | 1 | – |
| 10-11 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 13-17 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 18 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 19 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 20-23 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 24 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| 25-29 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| 30 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
What is the lodging situation?
Participants will be staying at Peninsula Catholic High School in Newport News. The accommodations will be in classrooms so participants will need to bring an air mattress, sleeping bag, and pillow.
All participants are required to stay at the home base location.
What kind of transportation is needed?
Transportation to and from Work Camp is the responsibility of each parish to coordinate. Additionally, adult participants will be responsible for transportation to and from work sites each day during Work Camp. For every 6 youth participants, 1 vehicle (mini-van: 7 seatbelts or SUV: 7-8 seatbelts) is required. Please keep in mind that space will be needed for participant’s gear and Work Camp supplies both to and from Work Camp. As a reminder, the use of 10-15 passenger vehicles is strictly prohibited per Diocesan Policy.
Where do we get the tools for the work projects?
Each parish will be asked to bring some tools with them. This may include items like paint brushes and rollers, shovels, post diggers, circular saws, etc. Collecting tools to borrow for Work Camp from parishioners is both a great way to involve the entire parish and eliminate the need to purchase all the tools. A detailed list will be provided by May 20.
What supplies do parishes need to bring with them?
In addition to vehicles and general tools, parishes will be asked to bring certain supplies with them. A complete list will be provided by late spring. This may include items such as 5-gallon water coolers and a supply basket for each van which includes a basket, toilet paper, tissues, soap, and antibacterial hand soap.
How do we prepare our participants for Work Camp?
We will be providing materials that will help facilitate preparation for participating in Work Camp. Preparation materials will include topics like tool safety, what to expect, and how to prepare spiritually. This will require participants to gather together prior to Work Camp in 2-3 meetings, and it is up to the parish to coordinate. The diocese will provide guidance and resources as to how to facilitate these meetings.
Can other family members or children attend the Work Camp?
To ensure the safest environment possible, it is the policy of the Office for Evangelization that only registered participants may attend this event. Spouses or children of adult participants may attend if 1) they meet the target audience of the event AND 2) they are registered. Younger children of a registered adult participant (younger than a rising 9th grader) may not attend, including infants and toddlers.
Work Camp Commitment Form
This year we are asking parishes to fill out a commitment form. Youth Ministers must complete the Diocesan Summer Trips 2023 Commitment Form by February 26, 2023 at 11:59pm. On this commitment form, you will identify the number of adult and youth spaces your parish wishes to purchase. **Please note, each parish is financially responsible for all of the spaces they reserve, regardless if they are used or not. ** The form can be found here.
If a parish wants to request additional spots or to drop spots after February 26, 2023, the Office for Evangelization will keep a list of requests and fulfill them as possible. We cannot guarantee any changes will be made.
This change allows us to ensure that we have the proper number of worksites secured for the number of participants attending.
What is the registration fee?
The registration fee per participant is listed below as well as available discounts.
Registration Fees:
Youth Participants & Adult Participants $400
The last day to register is May 14, 2023 at 11:59pm.
Contractors No charge
Adult Home Base Volunteer No charge
Substitutions
Each participant substitution on or before May 14, 2023 No charge
Each participant substitution between May 14 and June 4, 2023 $100
After May 15, all substitutions must be of the same sex as the person for whom they are substituting.
The last day to request a substitution is June 4, 2023 at 11:59pm.
After this date all changes will be processed as cancellations.
Cancellations Fees
Each participant cancellation on or before May 14, 2023 $100
Each participant cancellation after June 4, 2023 No refund
Discounts and Additional Fees:
Contractor Credit
One contractor is required for every 6 youth participants. For each additional contractor (above the ratio, see previous chart) you provide for the full work week, your parish group receives a discount of $750. (See “What is a contractor?” section for more details.)
Missing Contractor Fee
If your parish cannot provide the required number of contractors, for the full week of Work Camp, your parish will be charged $750 per missing contractor.
What does this registration fee cover?
The majority of the registration fee goes to cover the cost of materials necessary to complete the work projects. The work projects completed during Work Camp are significant home improvement projects (for example wheelchair ramp construction, deck and stair construction, and window replacement) that are designed to make homes warmer, safer, drier, and greener. The registration fee also goes to cover lodging, meals (Saturday dinner – Friday breakfast), and evening programming for all participants.
How do I register?
All youth and adults must register through their parish Youth Minister OR Catholic school coordinator. The registration process includes:
- Youth Minister completes the Diocesan Summer Trips 2023 Commitment Form by February 26, 2023. On this RegFox commitment form, you will identify the number of adult and youth spaces your parish wishes to purchase. **Please note, each parish is financially responsible for all of the spaces they reserve, regardless if they are used or not.** The link to this form can be found on our website.
- After submitting the Commitment Form, Collect Registration Forms from Participants: Print out and distribute the registration form from evangelizerichmond.org. A copy should be maintained by the Youth Minister in case of emergency. DO NOT SEND THESE TO THE OFFICE FOR EVANGELIZATION.
- Register Participants via the Online Registration System: If you are the parish Youth Minister, contact the Office for Evangelization to get the event-specific password for the online registration system.
- Send payments to the Office for Evangelization (if you did not pay via credit card on the online registration system): Be sure to include your parish/school name along with a list of participants for whom the payment applies. All outstanding registration fees will be invoiced to the parish/school.
For Home Base Volunteer registration, have each Home Base Volunteer fill out the corresponding registration form. Then the parish Youth Minister should register them via the Online Registration System.
For Contractor registration, have each Contractor fill out the Contractor Application. Then the parish Youth Minister should email that application to [email protected]. Approval will be given by the lead contractor.
Questions?
Contact us via email ([email protected]or phone (804-622-5159).