‘Workcamp for Lincoln’ youth power to aid homeowners in fix ups

 

[October 20, 2020] 

At the Logan County Board’s October Finance Committee meeting, the committee heard from local resident Todd Henry about a work camp for teens that will be held in the area next summer from July 25-31.

Todd Henry is a 21-year-veteran leader of over 50 workcamps, a local schoolteacher, and “Head Dishwasher” for Workcamp for Lincoln.

The program is called Workcamp for Lincoln. For the workcamp, Henry said around 300 or 400 junior high and high schoolers will be coming from out of state. The teens will pay several hundred dollars to attend the workcamp and work on repairing homes for the elderly, disabled, and low-income residents. They will work on 60 or 70 homes around Logan County that week.

Henry said the camp is a partnership with Group Mission Trips, a non-profit group in Fort Collins, Colorado. The camp helps kids grow spiritually by bringing Jesus to other people by doing the work. The kids put their hands on saws, drills, hammers, and do all kinds of work for people for free.

Group Mission Trips has 29 years of mission trip experiences. Over the years, 500,000 participants have done 14 million volunteer hours. Work done may include building wheelchair ramps, putting up siding, roofing, drywall, insulation, and interior and exterior painting.

As they do the work, Henry said the kids are exposed to skilled trades for the first time. They may be picking up a hammer or saw for the first time and are making a real difference in some way.

The kids coming will build a good reputation for teenagers, who Henry said in some people’s mind’s are lazy or lackadaisical. He said these kids work really hard and pay money to serve and give to the community.

Henry has been involved with the camps for 21 years and served with 45 different workcamps. He has gone to Appalachia, the Northeast, the Southeast, and parts of Illinois and served as a co-director of these camps. Henry leads main sessions in the evenings as kind of spiritual director.

As Henry said, “Over the last two decades, it’s been an incredible privilege to serve alongside thousands of awesome students as they made real differences in the landscape and lives of people all over this country. For a long time, my dream has been to host a workcamp, and unleash all this energy and impact on my hometown. Well, here we go!”

Locally, Henry started taking guys like Tim Becke to help show students how to build things. The kids do the work, but since they do not necessarily know what they are doing, there are people who train them. Supervisors make sure they put the ramps in the right way and may help with the bigger cuts.

This summer there will be twenty camps around the states. In the handout Henry gave to committee members it said the workcamp involves “transformation for 50-70 homes and families, transformation for 400 students and youth leaders and transformation for a local economy.”

Henry said Community Action Partnership of Illinois (CAPCIL), which is one of their partners, weatherizes about 20-30 homes a year. He said to be able to work on 50-70 residences and make some serious changes to homes is pretty incredible.

One week of camp is estimated to be $160,000 investment in the community. Henry said the kids will be spending money here and the camp will buy all the needed materials locally. The youth will be staying at Lincoln Community High School during the week of camp, and Henry said the organization pays the high school for the use. The camp will also be renting supplies, equipment, and vehicles.

To have a workcamp, Henry said you need three essential things: funding, a place to stay and partnerships. Henry said CAPCIL is one of their partners and Alison Rumler-Gomez and her crew have been unbelievable.

Today, Henry said they launched something for the workcamp through CAPCIL’s client kiosk app to let people select what they would like done on their house. CAPCIL will be assisting with the application process by utilizing their intake process and internal database to collect information and promote the program. If you are a current CAPCIL client, or are a homeowner who might qualify for these FREE home repairs, go to www.capcil.info and click on the CLIENT KIOSK button to apply.

Henry asked about a resolution from the board supporting the effort. He would also like some help with networking. The workcamp has a lot of contacts with retired construction workers and people in the skilled trades. Henry would like to find some businesses that might want to invest in the camp.

The camp needs funding too. Henry said it is going well so far and the camp already has $30,000 from local businesses and grants.

There will be signs all over the county welcoming the kids. Community Partners and some sponsors will be listed on the signs.

Henry said the camp is being called Workcamp for Lincoln because the kids will be coming to a place where Abraham Lincoln walked and lived and served.

The goal is for the workcamps to invest in the community long term. Henry said things are falling into place for a great partnership with the community. In Racine, Wisconsin, over the past 21 years neighborhood after neighborhood was transformed by the work done through this camp.

Committee members had a few questions about the workcamp.

Board Chairman Emily Davenport asked if the city of Lincoln had pledged any money for the camp.

Henry said the city council gave him a check for $3,500.

Since the camp will be investing $160,000 in the community, committee member David Blankenship asked what the investment was related to.

The investments are vendor related since Henry said they will be purchasing supplies from around the area.

Finance Committee Chairman David Hepler asked if the camp might be held for more than one year.

Henry said that is the plan. The mission organization that runs the camps likes to work in the communities for multiple years. Once the framework is set up, Henry said they will have the model for what is needed.

One goal Henry has is to garner community support. The camp is a partnership with the city of Lincoln, the county, CAPCIL and the mission organization. The organization comes in and runs the camps and Henry said he helps provide the volunteers.

There was a question from Blankenship about how many youth Henry expected to come for the camp.

Right now, there are about 160 kids signed up for the camp. Henry said he might not know the full numbers for a while due to covid. Last year, everything had to be cancelled. If needed, there is a plan for covid adjustments to make everything safer.

Davenport then made motions for a resolution to support the work camp and $3,500 in funding to help the camp.

The county receives $25,000 from Cresco Labs every year for Community Development, so Davenport said the funds will come from that.

Both were unanimously approved by the committee.

Henry thanked the committee for their support. For more information, he can be contacted at todd@workcampfor
lincoln.com.

[Angela Reiners]