Welcome to the wild and wonderful world of West Virginia.
Greetings from the West Virginia Ministry of Advocacy and Workcamps. We invite you to join us during 2009 to help repair damage and bring hope to victims of extensive flooding and other disasters, including poverty, in our state. We are a year-round work camp ministry, and can add you to our schedule for spring, summer, fall or winter.
Since October 2001, we have brought 40-60 volunteer groups per year to work in West Virginia. Their work has consisted of home repair and reconstruction, deconstruction, playground restoration, parks cleanup, stream bank stabilization, and vacation Bible schools, among other things.
We are supported by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Synod of the Trinity and The Presbytery of West Virginia. The groups we recruit come from churches of various faith traditions, as well as from colleges and universities.
We have four group housing locations, at Montgomery, Colcord, Kopperston, and Welch, WV. (Click here to see details of our housing locations.) They are all associated with local churches, and each has shower facilities and fully-equipped kitchens. There is a lot of interaction with the local congregations, including worship, Bible Schools, conversations, and cookouts.
Your fees cover the cost of the building materials that are used in the projects. They are $210/person/week, or $52.50/person/day for trips shorter than a week. You also have a day off to enjoy beautiful West Virginia, where you may decide to go whitewater rafting, visit an exhibition coal mine, go to an outdoor theatre, visit one of our state parks, or just hang out in the neighborhood. You may reserve a spot on our schedule by contacting Joan West Stewart, 304-779-2870 ; joanandtim@suddenlink.net.
Some websites that you may find interesting are:
www.wvgives.org
for flood information at the state level
www.callwva.com for tourist information (this could help you decide what to
do on your day off).
WVMAW Mission
The West Virginia Ministry of Advocacy and Workcamps (WVMAW) is a Christian ministry supported in part by the Presbyterian Church (USA) that offers the opportunity for discipleship by partnering with those in need whose lives have been devastated by natural disasters or by the disaster of poverty in areas of West Virginia.
Statement of Values
We strive to serve people in ways that will be sustaining for the good of their communities as well as for the good of individuals and families.
We encourage spiritual and faith development among those who serve as well as those who are served by our efforts.
We seek to encourage and enable mission leadership that will strengthen churches and community members, bringing new life and vitality to West Virginia and beyond.
We seek to treat all people with respect and dignity, regardless of their situation.
We believe that volunteers are called by God to be partners in ministry.
We seek to help people find safe, sanitary, and affordable housing.
We are committed to careful stewardship of all resources entrusted to our care.
We seek to witness to the goodness of God by providing quality workmanship on all jobs we undertake.
We believe that God opens the doors that provide opportunities for ministries that can make a real difference in people’s lives. We seek to find those opportunities for service, and to partner with other organizations involved in similar ministries.