United Way of the Lowcountry
PARTICIPATES IN CATHOLIC HEART WORKCAMP
Catholic HEART (Helping Everyone Attain Repairs Today) Workcamp is about SERVICE, CONNECTION and LOVING OTHERS. It all started in 1993 in Orlando, FL with 100 participants and has grown to over 13,000 serving in 2016. CHWC provides parish youth groups, teens and adult leaders service opportunities to restore homes and HEARTS, feed the hungry, lift the spirits of children, bring joy to the elderly and disabled and offer assistance while partnering with social agencies. Their aim is to provide nothing short of amazing Catholic Mission Trips! Each Workcamp is equipped with a summer staff, director, manager, musician, nurse and priests to celebrate mass/confession. It is a youth friendly Christ centered Week of caring for others. Catholic HEART Workcamp faithfully and enthusiastically serves the Roman Catholic Church and its teachings and is an excellent opportunity to “love the least of these”.
United Way of the Lowcountry is proud to have coordinated the 18th Annual Catholic Heart Work Camp. More than 350 students from across the nation visited the Lowcountry to lend their time and talents to help make life better for elderly, disabled, and families in need throughout Beaufort and Jasper counties.
The students arrived on Sunday, June 18 and worked through Thursday, June 22. Friday was a free day for the students, allowing them the opportunity to enjoy the amenities of the Lowcountry, including beach visits, touring, and other activities.
Coming from all over the country, these student volunteers started their work day around 8am and ended each work day around 3pm. These students, along with 100 plus adult leaders and several local volunteers worked together on at least 55 projects throughout the community, with the work ranging from yard work and minor repairs to installing handicap ramps.
“These young people make a big impact in just a few short days by doing simple home repairs including painting, yard work, cleaning, repairing screens, and anything else that is difficult for an elderly or handicapped person to accomplish. With the impacts of Hurricane Matthew, there is a big need for these types of services and we’re excited to have this wonderful group of kids in our community to help us meet the needs of our neighbors,” said Bethany Marcinkowski, United Way of the Lowcountry’s Vice President of Education Impact.
Several local volunteers with skill and building experience handled the larger, more complicated repair jobs at various sites. Hilton Head Glidden donated all the paint, as they have every year since the first group of HEART work campers arrived in 1999.
“This program’s mission is to revitalize communities and beautify homes of the elderly, the disabled, and those who cannot afford needed repairs,” said Marcinkowski. “This falls right in line with United Way of the Lowcountry’s Community Impact agenda, which includes working to meet the basic needs of our neighbors by transforming substandard homes in to safe living conditions.”
The United Way of the Lowcountry’s mission is to mobilize resources to solve human problems. Their vision is to be the leading force for social change to improve basic needs, education, health, and financial stability outcomes for the citizens of Beaufort and Jasper Counties.
