NORTH BERWICK — Many local residents will receive free home repairs this summer thanks to the hard work and dedication of nearly 400 teenage and adult volunteers who will participate in a Table of Plenty Workcamp around southern York County from July 27 to Aug. 2. The program, sponsored locally by the Parish of the Ascension of the Lord and the Table of Plenty, provides interior and exterior painting, weatherization, ramp construction and other work. At each workcamp, volunteers from church youth groups around the country donate a week of their time to repair homes throughout the community.
“This represents about 12,000 hours of volunteer labor with a total economic impact for the community of over $300,000,” said Michelle Valcourt, youth minister of the Parish of the Ascension of the Lord, which includes St. Raphael Church, Kittery; St. Christopher Church, York; Our Lady of the Angels Church, South Berwick; and Star of the Sea Church, York Beach.
The Table of Plenty is the local soup kitchen for York, Kittery and Berwick, serving hundreds of residents at three locations each week. The workcamp is organized by Group Cares, a nonprofit, interdenominational Christian volunteer home-repair organization headquartered in Loveland, Colo. This summer, 25,000 young people and adults are expected to participate in 48 workcamps across the United States and Canada.
“These really are remarkable people,” said Jeff Thompson of Group Cares. “Each one is actually paying for the privilege of working in your community. Workcamp registration fees are used to cover our costs for food, insurance and building materials.”
Participants will be based at Noble High School in North Berwick and will sleep on classroom floors, eat in the cafeteria and enjoy evening programs in the gym.
“This service to the community would be impossible without the wonderful cooperation of Noble High School, Principal Joseph Findlay and Superintendent Steve Connolly,” said Valcourt. “Group Cares will reimburse all costs to the lodging facility.”
Residents interested in applying to receive assistance can contact Michelle Valcourt at 439-0442 or at michelle.valcourt@portlanddiocese.org.
All homes must be owned and within a 30-minute drive of Noble High School, located on 388 Somersworth Road in North Berwick.
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