Hi, everyone!
If you are receiving this email, then at some point in the last few months, you expressed an interest in participating in Diocesan Work Camp this summer. I am reaching out today to share some more information, dates, and registration forms!
Diocesan Work Camp will be held June 20-26 (Saturday-Friday) in Bristol, Virginia. Adults can participate in three ways: as chaperones who lead a crew of 5-6 teens for the week, as contractors who oversee a project for the week, and as home base volunteers who handle all the behind-the-scenes logistics back at home base. You can read more about each role below. All adults, regardless of their role, are required to complete Safe Environment (VIRTUS) training and pass a background check before they can participate.
If this is your first time going, you probably have a lot of questions! There’s LOTS of information in this email, so please read through it carefully and feel free to reach out to me with any additional questions you have 😊 I will be registering myself on March 19th; if you’re able to send me your paperwork before then, that makes registration easy for me. The hard deadline for registration is Monday, April 27.
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, and drier 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. It is a transformative experience in the life of the adults who assist as well, whether as a volunteer, contractor, or chaperone.
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 Week Prep
Monday – Wednesday: Daily Mass, Work Day on Site, Evening Program
Thursday: Daily Mass, Work Day on Site, Dinner with Residents, Evening Program
Friday: Daily Mass, Closing Program, Departure
Youth will have the opportunity to serve alongside other youth from across the diocese 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 encounter Christ through sacraments, prayer, the people they serve, and their peers. There will also be a daily opportunity for each parish to process the experiences of the day as a group.
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 Chaperones?
Adult Chaperones are responsible for looking out for the well-being of youth participants both at home base and at the work sites. This role is very relational, as you’ll be attending everything with the teens on your crew, from Mass in the morning to evening program at night. 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 have a valid driver’s license. Chaperones must be 21 years old before the beginning of Work Camp.
What are the requirements for adult Home Base Volunteers?
Home Base Volunteers 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 19 to Friday, June 26, 2026. They will need separate transportation from their parish vehicles and will need to arrive at 2pm on June 19, 2026. Carpooling may be available for volunteers coming from the same area.
What are the requirements for Contractors? What is a Contractor?
While we do have some construction professionals (active/retired) who volunteer at the Diocese of Richmond Work Camp we use the term “contractor” loosely. Ultimately, a “contractor” is someone who is relatively handy with tools and comfortable doing more substantial DIY tasks around the home. The main role of a “contractor” is to guide and manage a group of teenagers to complete a substantial project in a relatively short amount of time. All work projects are researched, planned, and drawn by “lead contractors” who typically work as professionals in the construction industry and who oversee the day-to-day work of the “contractors” at Work Camp. The most important skills in a contractor’s tool bag at Work Camp are the ability to have a positive attitude around the teenagers, remain patient, collaborate respectfully with the Adult Chaperones, and over-communicate with both the teenagers and the “lead contractors” throughout the week.
Skill sets of volunteer “contractors” vary widely, but should include some or all of the following:
Basic carpentry skills (measuring, cutting, and assembling stock lumber)
Read and interpret construction drawings (not blueprints)
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. 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 20 through Friday, June 26, 2026.
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.
What is the lodging situation?
Participants will be staying at Saint Anne Catholic School in Bristol, VA (580 Oakview Ave, Bristol, VA 24201). The accommodations will be in classrooms so participants will need to bring an air mattress, sleeping bag, and pillow. All youth participants and Adult Chaperones are required to stay at the home base location. For contractors who opt in to the lodging accommodations provided, they will have rooms at King University (1350 King College Rd, Bristol, TN 37620) about 2 miles from Saint Anne’s campus.
What meetings do adult participants need to attend prior to Work Camp?
There is one All-Adults Meeting that is required. These meetings are in person and held regionally for all Group Leaders, Adult Chaperone, Home Base Volunteers, and Contractors. We will have some meet-and-greet, cover expectations for the different roles, and open it up for Q&A. These are presented from 6-8pm and will include dinner.
EAST: Wednesday, May 27 at Holy Trinity, Norfolk
CENTRAL: Thursday, May 28 at the Pastoral Center, Richmond
WEST: Monday, June 1 at Saint Jude, Christiansburg
There will be an additional meeting for Contractors only that will happen in the spring; details for that meeting will be shared when they are made public.
What now?
If you’re already lacing your boots and ready to get to work, complete one of the attached registration forms and email it back to me by March 19th! Make sure you get the right one for the role you want to do. If you have questions, or if your unsure which role you’d like to serve in, shoot me an email or give me a call! I’m super excited about your interest in attending Work Camp, and I really want to help make it happen for you. Any and all comments, questions, and concerns are welcome!
Erin Maguire-Metrey
Work-Camp-Adult 3-5-26, Work-Camp-Contractor 3-5-26, Work-Camp-Homebase 3-5-26