This year, Volunteer Weekend takes place April 26 to 28 at Miniwanca and May 17 to 19 at Merrowvista.

Current and former camp families, seasonal staff, adult program alumni, and those new to camp are all welcome. These are family-oriented weekends, and age-appropriate projects and activities will be available. Attendees younger than 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Participants will gather Friday evening and share a meal while they connect with old friends and make new ones.

Saturday will focus on service to the sites. Volunteers will clean, rake, dig, paint, repair, and replace to help prepare these beautiful spaces for the hundreds of participants who will visit in 2023.

The rest of the weekend will be filled with games, socializing, free time, Community Fire, and a reflection on service.

Volunteer Weekends is free and include housing and food, including dinner on Friday evening, three meals on Saturday, and breakfast on Sunday. The American Youth Foundation asks that you consider making a donation to help cover the costs of this weekend.

Learn more and register online.

Miniwanca Volunteer Weekend

Merrowvista Volunteer Weekend

The post Register now for Miniwanca, Merrowvista Volunteer Weekends appeared first on American Youth Foundation.

This year, Volunteer Weekend takes place April 28 to 30 at Miniwanca and May 12 to 14 at Merrowvista.

Current and former camp families, seasonal staff, adult program alumni, and those new to camp are all welcome. These are family-oriented weekends, and age-appropriate projects and activities will be available. Attendees younger than 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Participants will gather Friday evening and share a meal while they connect with old friends and make new ones.

Saturday will focus on service to the sites. Volunteers will clean, rake, dig, paint, repair, and replace to help prepare these beautiful spaces for the hundreds of participants who will visit in 2023.

The rest of the weekend will be filled with games, socializing, free time, Community Fire, and a reflection on service.

Volunteer Weekends is free and include housing and food, including dinner on Friday evening, three meals on Saturday, and breakfast on Sunday. The American Youth Foundation asks that you consider making a donation to help cover the costs of this weekend.

Learn more and register online.

Miniwanca Volunteer Weekend

Merrowvista Volunteer Weekend

The post Registration is now open for Miniwanca, Merrowvista Volunteer Weekends appeared first on American Youth Foundation.

At Miniwanca, Director of Operations Griffin Vogler said 40 volunteers convened April 29 through May 1. They put in a collective 320 hours of work installing a new porch on the Activity Center, raking and preparing the grounds, and readying the Eating Lodge and cabins for the campers’ return.

“This awesome group came together for some really hard work that helped us get ahead for the season,” said Vogler. “We’re so grateful for people taking time of out their busy lives to make sure our campers have a great space for camp this summer.”

Merrowvista hosted a Volunteer and Family Weekend May 13 to 15. Director of Operations Amy Simmons said there were 50 volunteers on hand, many of whom were children eager to get an early glimpse of where they’d soon spend part of their summer. Simmons said the volunteers leveled out the ground around the flag-raising area, while the younger (and shorter) volunteers stained 75% of the Sandcastle building. “Our taller adult staff will reach the upper 25% of the building,” she said, laughing.

A few volunteers were campers who participated in last summer’s Wayfinder program. They had the honor of placing the plaque marking their summer 2021 efforts to rebuild the North Star Shelter.

It wasn’t all work though. Both sites made time for fun and community connection. Merrowvista offered climbing activities and a Melbourne Cup Race on the A-Field, while Miniwanca ushered in the new season with the first frigid Polar Bear of 2022. Both sites closed their weekend of service with reflection around a Fire Circle.

“Each year, we count on our volunteers to help us open camp and make it clean, safe, and welcoming for all campers,” Simmons said. “We couldn’t do it without them. We’re truly grateful to everyone who gave their time and energy to support our mission.”

The post Volunteers prepare Miniwanca, Merrowvista for summer 2022 appeared first on American Youth Foundation.