This Week, More Than 600 Young People Across the Catholic Diocese of Arlington Are Volunteering to Repair Homes in Their Communities as Part of an Annual Workcamp Program

Effort Lends Helping Hand to Those in Need After Difficult Year, Teaches Young People Service to Neighbors

ARLINGTON, Va. - This week, more than 600 teens in the Catholic Diocese of Arlington are volunteering their time to repair homes and complete various service projects within their parish communities. WorkCamp, an annual week-long program the Diocese sponsors, offers youth the opportunity to serve while building friendships and learning life-long lessons of volunteerism. Thirty-five parishes are supporting the effort to undertake more than 100 community repair projects. This year's WorkCamp, which began Saturday, June 19, with teambuilding exercises and safety training, goes through the evening of Thursday, June 24.

“Each year, hundreds of young people in our diocese take time out of their summer vacations to serve their neighbors in need-for this I am extraordinarily proud, as I am also for the adult staff and volunteers who facilitate this great work. After a particularly difficult year in which many repairs had to be put on hold, the need is especially great. We are thankful for this exciting week and look forward to seeing the fruits of their labors,” said Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, Catholic Diocese of Arlington. “The lessons of the past year are many. Most importantly, the centrality of faith, the importance of community, and our duty to serve. That is the message of WorkCamp. May our Lord bless those who participate and show his love to our neighbors now, and always.”

WorkCamp projects include installing wheelchair ramps, painting projects, repairing home doors, decks, railings, and fences, and preparing meals for those in need. In addition, WorkCamp groups will begin their day with Mass at their local parish and enjoy music, games, prayer, talks, and other social activities each evening.

Each year, Bishop Burbidge visits the WorkCamp sites and spends time with the young volunteers.

“The impact of WorkCamp is tremendous. We are thankful for the opportunity to give back, and we are inspired by the number of young people who step forward to participate each year,” said Ed Gloninger, WorkCamp Coordinator, Office of Youth, Campus, and Young Adult Ministries, Catholic Diocese of Arlington. “We have seen both teens and communities transformed. Our hope, of course, is that this transformation is just a beginning.”

The Catholic Diocese of Arlington's Office of Youth, Campus and Young Adult Ministries has sponsored this week-long summer service program since 1990. There is no cost to those receiving these services. All supplies, building materials, and building permits are provided by WorkCamp. Crews arrive at residences with the necessary tools, food, water, and everything they need to complete the projects. A safety training is completed the first weekend of WorkCamp.

For more information on WorkCamp, visit arlingtondiocese.org/workcamp/.

For additional information, contact Amber Roseboom, Director of Media Relations, Catholic Diocese of Arlington, at 571-215-8731 or Amber.Roseboom@arlingtondiocese.org.

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The Catholic Diocese of Arlington was established on August 13, 1974, and is home to 71 parishes and more than 460,000 Catholics. There are currently 276 priests serving in the Diocese and 49 seminarians discerning a priestly vocation. The Diocese has 37 parish (K-8) schools, four diocesan high schools, four independent Catholic schools and five free-standing (not connected with a parish school) pre-schools, serving more than 16,800 students. 

The Diocese includes the seven cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, Manassas Park, and Winchester and the 21 counties of Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, King George, Lancaster, Loudoun, Madison, Northumberland, Orange, Page, Prince William, Rappahannock, Richmond, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Warren and Westmoreland.