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From the daughter of a client who died after we provided miscellaneous assistance, including building a ramp which allowed him to get out of the house by himself after eight years:
"[BCCW] provided him with freedom and a better quality of life."
“As a homeschooler I don't need any community service hours, but I would happily volunteer for Baltimore County Christian Workcamp anytime. I enjoyed building the ramp and I felt that it was a good use of everyone's time. I found everyone to be very friendly and helpful. I enjoyed working with my father and grandfather the days they were there. I didn't find the work to be particularly strenuous, but there wasn't any time that I was bored either. I enjoyed working with people from my church and people that I hadn't met before.”
- David (was sixteen when the ramp was built)
“I am 72 years old, a youngster compared to some of the group, and have volunteered for approximately the past 15 years. All is good - the people, the food and the experiences.
- Sal
"Other than my wife and family, my thirty plus years with BCCW
has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life."
- Jim Miller (90, 'retired" BCCW volunteer, former BCCW co-chair)
“I'm 41 years old, and I've been volunteering with BCCW for about 12 years. This past summer was the first time my daughter worked alongside me, building a wheelchair ramp. It's wonderful to be able to work with the youth of our church, teaching them some technical skills and showing them the importance of serving others. What a great way to be the hands and feet of Christ!
- Matt
"l like to keep busy, especially doing jobs; they are rewarding to do for those who are in need,"
- Rodney Gist (87, BCCW’s oldest volunteer, until his 2017 passing)
"Good opportunity to help people who are unable to help themselves. It is amazing that people
who help get more out of it. Just being a presence at a site is often
as beneficial to the client as actually helping do something.”
- Chip Day (75, chair or co-chair since 1987)
'When I first began volunteering, I was surprised to find that there is much mission work to be done right here in our own back yard. There are large numbers of families and individuals who can benefit from the
help of others in keeping their homes safe and healthy, allowing them to stay in them longer:"
- Frank Thornas (co-chair since 2002)
The Baltimore County Christian Workcamp was a significant part of my growth in the last almost 25 years while working at the church. I was looking for opportunities for families of all ages and generations to work together.
I can’t remember how I found BCCW, but I attended a meeting or two and decided to go along with another church during the work week. Only one person from our youth group wanted to try out this experience. So a high school student and I took in the entire experience – breakfast, lunch, work day, dinner, and the evening events, when we could. We painted the inside and outside of a house. There was another group that joined us, too.
It was a middle high youth group with mostly 6th graders and a little wild. We decided that if our church were to be in charge of a house, we would take care of it as if it were our own.
We came back the next year! And we brought more people and worked with the three ladies (all Nancy by name) from another church and did roofs. What an experience for me! They challenged and changed my life.
Women could and did make a difference. I was no longer afraid to try. And now I have my own toolbox and know how to use different tools. I don’t own any power tools, yet! But because so many others were willing to share and teach, I had the opportunity to learn and use them.
The year we were going to paint the outside of the 3-4 story house in Chase, MD after Hurricane Isabelle, we knew we couldn’t reach high enough, so I went to the Genie Lift rental and got certified to use the Genie Lift. The final test -- I had to parallel park it from 60 feet in the air. I thought I would be scared to death, but I did it. We never rented it, doesn’t matter, though. And I learned about how close we could paint to electric lines coming into the house. Wow. We did get BGE to turn off the power so we could paint.
I keep the picture near me at work that was taken one Friday night of BCCW week … I was awarded the shirt, “Yes We Can Do That!” It’s a lasting memory for me.
(By Cathy who was moving to another state (June 2017).
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