Trinity Youth Celebrate 20th Year

Of Workcamp Mission Outreach

On Sunday, July 1, nine adults and 28 youth from Trinity Episcopal Church set out for the tornado-ravaged Monson, Mass., area to complete their 20th successive summer mission trip with Group Workcamps Foundation. The Group Workcamp Mission concept, with its origins rooted back in the 1970s, brings together youth and adult chaperones from all religions around the country for a week of outreach, encompassing lots of hard work, tool and safety training, spirituality, fellowship, Christian music and entertainment, and even some great memorable fun.

(The Trinity group was part of a team of fellow students and adults from along the East Coast who descended on Monson during the week of July 1–7, including the Newtown Ecumenical Workcamp Students (NEWS), representing Newtown Congregational, Newtown United Methodist, and St Rose of Lima churches.)

The Trinity Workcampers met at church at 8 am Sunday morning, and celebrated a worship service together with their families and received a blessing from Pastor Kathie Adams-Shepherd before departing.

This year’s workcamp, sponsored by the First Church of Monson and their local Nomads of Hope Workcampers, involved 352 youth and adults from 19 youth groups. Participants worked on 59 residences, building wheelchair ramps, repairing broken decks and porches, mending leaky roofs, sheetrocking, scraping and plenty of painting on old houses and garages, in addition to sharing religious devotions with their residents each day.

The residents ranged in age from 90-year-old, third-generation families in the area to 20-year-old single parents. A great many were handicapped, and all were drastically impacted by the harsh economic times in the area.

Each year the youth and adults of Trinity return from workcamp uplifted by their individual experiences and with a newfound devotion to God’s workings, as a result of their accomplishments. One youth commented that seeing 352 people singing the hymn “Amazing Grace” together in the evening program was “a God sighting.”

Over the course of the week the workcampers combined with the group staff and local groups to collect and raise funds to purchase food to be donated to the very needy food pantries in the area.

Another highpoint of the week was on the Fourth of July, when the entire workcamp was invited to march in the Monson Parade, which had been cancelled last year due to the tornado. A veritable sea of different colored shirts resulted, as each youth group wore its individual church shirt.

As workcamp drew to a close on Saturday morning, all prepared for very emotional and often tearful good-byes to old and new friendships that sometimes last for years through the spirit of workcamp.

In looking back over the week, a three-year workcamp veteran commented on how spiritually renewing, inspirational, and fun it was, while new to workcamp twins said that it was awesome and the residents were just outstanding to help and be with. Trinity Assistant Pastor John Satula, also new to Group Workcamp, summed up his experiences by saying that it was great “to finally participate and share this experience with an incredible group of youth and adults all doing what we can to show forth the presence and love of Christ in the world.”

The youth participating in this year’s workcamp are members of the Trinity Young Adults in Church (YAC) and Journey to Adulthood (J2A) groups, as well as a few friends and invited guests from other churches around the Newtown area. Three Trinity graduating high school seniors celebrated their fifth workcamp this month.

Adult leaders and chaperones included veteran workcampers Peter Anderau, Paget Haylon, Jen Peterson, Doug Russell, Rob Ryder, John Satula, and Ellie Zarifis.

In addition, Larry Coleman and Curt Symes, with 19 and 17 workcamps, respectively, accompanied the Trinity team, both as a part of the Youth Group and as volunteer staff (called Red Shirt Site Coaches) working with Group Workcamp Foundation staff and the local church sponsor.

Mr Coleman and Mr Symes both agreed that working in the Monson area was very challenging but also extremely fulfilling in both a sense of accomplishment and spirituality, helping the handicapped and truly needy. 

Trinity has already booked its spot for workcamp next year in Pennsylvania and started planning for the fundraising necessary to accomplish this feat. To learn more about workcamp and the Trinity Youth Program, visit www.TrinityNewtownCT.org or look for the church’s Facebook page.