“Serve the Lord with gladness.”

Psalm 100:2

The Good Works Work Camps are designed to provide volunteers with meaningful service experience while encouraging them to grow in their faith. Projects are thoughtfully chosen so that all participants will be fully engaged in home repair and homeowner engagement. Work Camps are held in the greater Coatesville, PA area.

Participating churches, schools and groups should provide adult supervision and volunteers for a weeklong home repair project. Good Works provides the tools, building materials, and expert Technical Staff to advise on the repairs and teach new skills.

In addition to accomplishing much-needed repairs on homes, our groups and their leaders bring joy to the lives of the Homeowners who have opened their home.

Three Different Work Camp Experiences

Church

A Church can volunteer for a weeklong Work Camp during the spring, summer and fall. Adults and students 15 years and older are encouraged to attend. We require a minimum of 35 participants for overnight groups with a ratio of 1 adult (age 25 or older) for every 4 youth. This ratio is helpful in managing the group as well as building intergenerational relationships within your church community.

Youth Group

Youth Groups are encouraged to volunteer between June-August for a weeklong service experience that will teach students new skills and help them grow in their faith. We require a minimum of 35 participants for overnight groups, with a ratio of 1 adult (age 25 or older) for every 4 youth (15+ years). This ratio is helpful in managing the group as well as strengthening bonds within your youth ministry.

School

Schools are encouraged to volunteer in the spring and fall to help students achieve service hours, community involvement and provide opportunities to show God’s love to those in need. Students who are 15+ years old are encouraged to attend. We require a minimum of 35 participants for overnight groups with a ratio of 1 adult (age 25 or older) for every 4 youth. This ratio is helpful in managing the group as well as fostering a strong student body.

  • A youth group gathering for a work day, assembling at the Coatesville warehouse.
  • A group of young people meeting in a circle in a church basement
  • Young people take a break while sitting on a roof during a work camp day.

FAQ

Groups of adults and youth ages 15 and up. We require a minimum of 35 participants with a ratio of 1 adult (age 25 or older) for every 4 youth. This ratio is helpful in managing the group as well as building intergenerational relationships within your church community. While you are seeking adult attendees, please also consider their knowledge of various construction skills. By having several skilled adults and a small adult to youth ratio, teens will be better able to learn new skills which they can use at home and during subsequent mission trips with us or other ministries.

If there are adults in the church with skills in general home repair who would like to help but cannot commit for the entire week, please invite them to join the group sometime during the camp. Additional technical assistance is always welcome!

The cost to participate in a full week of Good Works Work Camp is $500 per person. To hold a date, a non-refundable deposit of $50/camp participant is required. The remainder is due 2 weeks before the camp begins.

Each team member should bring personal work gloves and safety glasses, as well as clothing and footwear appropriate for the jobs and weather. We work even when it’s raining! We have a fully stocked supply warehouse where many other tools and personal protective equipment can be checked out for use. A list of some additional items needed for each Work Crew will be sent to your church leaders with their registration packet. What to Bring (PDF). 

Volunteers are required to provide their own transportation to and from the worksite each day.

Good Works provides building materials, dumpsters, trucks to transport the materials, and an expert technical staff for advice on the repairs. This staff is comprised of local carpenters and professional contractors who are also experienced Good Works volunteers.  Each project may have a full-time advisor or share one with another crew, depending on the scope of the repairs to be done.

We show the love of Jesus Christ as we repair the homes of those in need. We often form very close relationships with the homeowners whom we serve. Repairs vary, depending on the home and skills of the crew. In the past, Work Camp participants have done roofing, framing, concrete work, painting, drywall, electrical and plumbing work.

Participants will stay in a local church. Sleeping arrangements are on the floor, with hot meals for breakfast and dinner provided. Campers will pack a provided lunch every day and should take personal towels and clean clothes to shower in our warehouse shower stalls after the workday.

Good Works employs a professional cook to provide all meals. We cannot accommodate all dietary restrictions. Campers should tell Good Works well in advance of any food-related allergies, at which time we will advise of our ability to accommodate or recommend that the camper provide their own food.  Local grocery stores are located within a few miles of the hosting church.

Your full group of participants will split into Work Crews. Work Crews should number 8-10 people, including requisite adult (age 25+) leaders to act as Crew Leaders. It is also recommended to identify an older youth with a mature faith who is willing to serve as an Assistant Work Crew Leader. By serving under adults who can teach them and model a servant mindset, the Assistant Work Crew Leader can gain valuable leadership experience. Good Works recommends that Work Crews be formed prior to the week of camp. The Work Crew Leader and the Assistant Work Crew Leader will coordinate the repair work on their site and bring the youth and Homeowners’ families together during the workday. To assist Good Works to plan the projects, each of these workday leaders should fill out a Skills Inventory. 

Good Works takes the safety of our young volunteers seriously. All our Work Camp leaders have undergone a background check and have been cleared to serve with your youth. We ask that each church ensure that all adults traveling with their students have background checks completed (and on file in the church office) within 2 weeks before camp begins. Volunteer releases are due 2 weeks before camp begins as well. A letter listing the names of all adults coming from your church and stating that all people named have been cleared will be required at the time of final payment. In addition, all participating adults are required to sign a Code of Conduct statement prior to the start of camp.  

Good Works will pair each Work Crew with one of our Homeowners. They may live alone, be an older couple, or even have young children in the house. Homeowners may have pets, but we will not assign groups to homes with aggressive pets or severe health hazards. Good Works’ intent is for volunteers to get to know, share stories, and pray with their homeowners. We do not require that you perform home REPAIR all day; we also focus on RESTORING HOPE!

Each work crew works at a home for the entire week (Monday-Friday), from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  A typical Work Camp day looks like this:

  • 6:30 am Rise and shine!
  • 7:00 am Breakfast/Lunch prep
  • 8:00 am Devotions
  • 8:30 am Arrive at the warehouse
  • 9:00 am Working at a home
  • 4:00 pm Cleanup/tools to warehouse
  • 4:30 pm Shower 
  • 6:00 pm Dinner
  • 7:30 pm Evening Program
  • 9:00 pm Devotions & Small Group Time
  • 10:30 pm Lights out!

Don’t worry! You will have learned a lot after spending a week at Good Works! Advisors who are experienced Good Works volunteers and have technical expertise will oversee the work at each site. If you need some instruction in how to accomplish the tasks assigned for that day, these men and women will be happy to teach you! The Work Crew Leaders provided by your church will also be able to help you do a quality job. Teenagers often surprise their parents when returning home with their new-found skills.