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Youth spend summer helping others
By Connie Seastedt
seastedtfamily@yahoo.com
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MOUNT PULASKI - Zach Clouger, a 16-year-old from New Hampshire, took a break Monday to reflect on how glad he was to spend part of his summer vacation painting a garage for people he'd never met before. "It's fun and enlightening," Clouger said. "I enjoy building things, and it just feels good to help."

Clouger was relaxing on the warm, sunny afternoon in Mary and Frank Pope's back yard in Mount Pulaski and chatting with his fellow teenage painters from Kansas, Kentucky, Georgia and Michigan.

They are among 300 young people from across the United States and Canada who will spend this week doing home improvement projects for low-income or older people in Mount Pulaski and surrounding communities.

The youths began their work Monday and will continue through Friday at Heart of Illinois Youth Workcamp. It is a faith-based work camp organized by Group Works Camps Foundation of Loveland, Colo.

The teens, ranging in age from 13 to 18 years old, were split into groups of five or so supervised by a camp staff member.

Another member of Clouger's group, 13-year-old Mackenzie Coristine of Michigan, agreed with his assessment of the camp.

"It's also fun to meet so many new people," she said. "My favorite part is the nightly devotions as one large youth group."

When they are not hard at work at one of the 50 homes being repaired, the 300 youths and the 19 staff members will be spending much of their time at Mount Pulaski Grade School, said co-sponsor Mary Ann Radke of Latham. In the school's classrooms, the desks have been replaced with sleeping bags and mattresses that fill the floors throughout the building.

"The communities have all just been great," Radke said. "For the school we had a fan drive to provide fans for the school to keep the kids cool overnight, and we have even had a ladder drive."

Radke said that while the foundation provides staff to cook breakfast and dinner at the school, a local group brought in 15 gallons of homemade ice cream and another brought 1,000 cookies. A sack lunch also is provided, although many of the residents provide lunch for their group of volunteers.

"We have 15 states plus Canada represented here," said Radke. "The first night is a bit awkward when they first get in groups, but by the last night no one wants to say goodbye."

The 300 youths get up at 6:45 a.m. and kick off the day with a program at 8 a.m. They then work at their assigned site until 3 or 3:30 p.m., when they come back to the school, clean up, eat, and fill the gym for a nightly program that includes devotion and entertainment.

Wednesday will only be a half day so everyone can go to an activity, such as visiting the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum or Knights Action Park, both in Springfield.

The volunteers have been assigned to sites within 30 minutes of Mount Pulaski, Radke said.

The 50 homes chosen for the work belong to people ranging from a young couple struggling to make ends meet to an older couple who may have the money to do a repair but not the ability to get it done.

The latter was the situation at the Popes' home, where Clouger and Coristine's group painted the garage and two other buildings. The Popes were able to pay for the cost of the materials, but they needed help with the labor.

"We wanted these repairs done but just couldn't do them ourselves," said Frank Pope. "It's great to talk to these teens and see them come together with Christ and form a special bond with each other throughout the week.

"I would definitely do this again," Pope said. "I think those from other states will like the small-town feel we have here."

That was true for Karl Koenig, 45, of Georgia, a staff member working at his seventh camp. Mount Pulaski made him feel at home because he originally was from a small community in Iowa, he said.

"We were once driving through here to visit relatives and saw a sign in Mount Pulaski by the school that said, 'Squirrel Crossing.' I knew I had found my way back home, and knew I had to participate in any work trip around this area. I'm glad I did."

On the Net

For more information about the Group Work Camps Foundation, visit www.groupworkcamps.com .

Take a look
Eric Davenport of New Lenox paints around the porch while a crew from the Heart of Illinois Youth Workcamp makes repairs to a home at 316 S. Main St., Mount Pulaski.
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Reader comments on this story - 6 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Camper- wrote on Jul 15, 2006 11:46 AM:

" I helped a home with two young girls. They really made me apperciate what I had and really opend my heart and friends. Know i have friends all over 15 states and Canada; and I had a blast over this week! "

CPCC too wrote on Jul 11, 2006 11:07 AM:

" College Park Christian Church in Normal participated with a similar group in rural Maine a few years ago. My kid had a wonderful experience! This week, the CPCC youth are in the Dominican Republic helping with medical needs, building needs, and educational needs. "

jojo wrote on Jul 11, 2006 10:46 AM:

" I think all parents should concider placing there kids in a program such as this. And maybe there will be less noise about kids being on myspace, or watching inapropriate matrials on youtube. Or just be lazy and too focused in your own world, and forget the kids....whichever. "

The Libertarian wrote on Jul 11, 2006 10:24 AM:

" It is so refreshing to see some good news once in a while. "

proud mom wrote on Jul 11, 2006 8:59 AM:

" Group work camps is a wonderful program. The youth from Morningstar United Methodist Church in Normal is participating right now in Poplar Bluff Missouri. "

CampCounselor wrote on Jul 11, 2006 8:09 AM:

" This is a terrific story and I am glad to see such prominent placement in the Pantagraph. I'm not familiar with the writer, and I wonder if she or others in the Pantagraph newsroom are aware that dozens of young people from right here in B-N do exactly the same thing every summer for people in need elsewhere? There are probably others, but I know first hand that Calvary United Methodist Church in Normal has particpated in Reach Work Camps (www.reachwc.org) in places such as Ohio, New York, Tennesee and West Virginia among other places. They are run almost exactly as this camp is run. It's a terrific way to build strong, moral young people, plus they get to get away from home for a while and do some traveling, which many can't do on their own. In fact, this Sunday is Work Camp Sunday at CUMC. Come on out and see first hand what our community's youth did helping impoverished residents of Peterstown, WV while at the same time meeting new friends from across the country and strengthening their relationship with Christ! "
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