Wearing a hat and straps over both his shoulders, Carl Anderson stood under a covered tent and listened intently Tuesday afternoon. A local contractor was explaining how to install a new roof on a house tucked away off Interstate 66 in Front Royal, Virginia.
Moments later, he and a group of teenagers climbed a latter to execute the work that had just been described to them.
The effort is part of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington’s weeklong WorkCamp, an annual service program that sends Northern Virginia teens into the community to help residents who may not have the means to complete essential repairs themselves.
“I really just love coming out here to help make a huge impact on other people’s lives,” Anderson said. “It’s really a moving experience.”
In its 39th year, the program includes over 700 teenagers working on over 100 homes. Students are spending their nights sleeping in a middle school in Quicksburg, Virginia, with project sites in the City of Harrisonburg, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Warren, Clarke, Frederick and Page counties.
Kevin Bohli, the director of WorkCamp, said each morning starts with Mass, and then groups are separated to work on their projects. The work includes building wheelchair ramps, replacing roofs or working on windows.
They speak to local social service agencies and school principals in advance, inquiring about whether there’s anyone in the community who could use the help.
Tony Hill, who lives in Front Royal, asked about extra help in the spring, when his roof started leaking. Starting Monday, a group installed new shingles and made sure the roof was waterproof.
Before they started, they observed that it had caved in and had years worth of water damage.
“All of them taking their time, coming out here, working, especially in this heat, and just to help people, it’s just great,” Hill said. “They saved me. They’re a blessing to me, coming and doing this work for me, and it’s not costing me anything.”
Clare Muskett, who also worked on Hill’s roof, said “it feels amazing to be able to give back to the community.”
All of the teenagers go through safety training, Bohli said, so they’re prepared for the high temperatures. They rotate spending 15 minutes at a time on and off the roof.
“The heat is unbearable,” Anderson said. “We do our best. We’re just getting by, but I mean, we’re making good progress.”
Aloysius Coady, who lives in Annandale, said the group is “staying really hydrated. We have six jugs of water back there. We’re all keeping each other accountable, making sure we’re all drinking water and staying hydrated.”
Despite the heat, Hill said they teens have “got so much work done. They’re just the greatest group of people. I appreciate them so much.”
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