EAM 2002 Work Camps

2001 Work Camps Great Success For the first time, Episcopal Appalachian Ministries held both summer work camps back-to-back at Grace House on the Mountain, a learning/training center sponsored by the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, in St. Paul, Virginia, July 22 - 28 and July 29 - August 4. The twenty-three participants in the first week came from nine congregations in eight dioceses. They began the work of adding a bathroom and a new front porch to a trailer, redoing a porch and steps at another trailer, and rebuilding a local community church. The highlight of the week for most of the work campers was getting to meet and work with the 62-year-old preacher of the church, Vileta Winebarger. Vileta's humility and faith, plus her work ethic and sense of humor, made her a role model for all of us. She also served as cook, giving us a taste of southern Appalachian dishes new to most of us. The group of twenty that worked during the second week continued the work that the first group began, giving EAM an opportunity to undertake larger projects that usually are done at work camp. This group represented eight congregations in seven dioceses. EAM work camps are based on the philosophy that as important as the work is, it is secondary to the relationships formed between the work campers and their host families and among the work campers themselves. The work is done in the context of Christian community, worship and reflection. One assignment was to find a quote to report back to the group during evening reflection time. These ranged from the funny to profound and were collected into a book to be passed along to other work campers. The quotes included: From the seventy-four year old man who owned one of the trailers "Me and my wife have been married 51 years now. She startin' to be like family. From an eight-year-old boy with a crush on one of the work campers "I didn't throw a salamander on her. I threw a rock lizard, and there is a difference." If you don't have a quote, do you get voted off the work team? From Mrs. Winebarger "I can't tell you how much we appreciate you all coming and working here. God answers prayers and you are one of the answers." A highlight of the first week's work camp was eating produce from Vileta's garden. Some of the work campers helped pick the beans, squash, tomatoes, and onions and dig the potatoes used for supper. For many of them it was the first time they had ever harvested vegetables and they were pleased to have helped provide food for our meal. Vickianne Dotten, Director of Grace House, served as community liaison for the work camps which were directed by the Rev. Bude van Dyke, Chaplain at St. Andrews-Sewanee School in Tennessee.

CORA

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