| Tweet |
More than 400 high school students arrived here Monday, July 13, to spend a week of their summer vacation doing yard work and minor repairs for elderly and disabled Lowcountry residents.
United Way of the Lowcountry, Inc. is coordinating the Catholic HEART (Helping Everyone Attain Repairs Today) Work Camp program for the 11th year in a row, according to Bethany Marcinkowski, director of Resource Services for the local United Way organization that serves Beaufort and Jasper counties.
Student volunteers come from all over the country, and will be housed at Hardeeville School Complex. This is the first time the Jasper County school system has hosted the enthusiastic group. The young people will work from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day and attend spiritual programs in the evenings. The last day, Friday, is reserved for the beach and some play time.
“They do simple home repairs – painting, yard work, cleaning, repairing screens, and anything else that is difficult for an elderly or handicapped person to accomplish. They like to do everything they can for the recipients,” Marcinkowski said.
Seven-member teams, each with an adult leader, will be assigned to projects that include 60 homes and six agencies in the Hilton Head, Bluffton, Beaufort, Hardeeville and Ridgeland areas. Among other things, they will building handicapped ramps.
The Sun City Woodworkers group handles larger, more complicated repair jobs at the various sites. Helping them this year are several Knights of Columbus members. Hilton Head Glidden is donating all the paint, as has been the case 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, disabled and those who cannot afford needed repairs,” Marcinkowski said. “Its goals are to inspire participants to serve in their local communities and to enrich their lives.
“It is such a pleasure to see the spirit of this group – it is so genuine and real,” she added. “Young people bring residents a burst of joy and enthusiasm to warm the heart, provide valuable volunteer assistance while meeting annual service goals. And at the end of the day our local elderly and disabled residents enjoy safer and more attractive housing.”
