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This year marked the 14th anniversary for St. Pius X high school students traveling with Catholic Heart Workcamp .

We drove to Rocky Mount, Va., and stayed at Ferrum College with other Catholic young people from across the country. Each day, the youth traveled to surrounding mobile homes in need and repaired skirting, built porches and repainted exteriors.

Most of the residents were handicapped and required assistance to complete daily tasks. Several residents were stuck inside their homes because of dilapidated porches and stairs and the lack of wheelchair-accessible ramps. They relied on visitors to assist them out of their front doors or to take them to get groceries.

Each day, the youth rebuilt homes and ate lunch with the residents on site and did odd jobs that were requested.

On Oct. 17 and Nov. 14 , our teens are repairing homes for families in need here in Greensboro. They want to take the skills they acquired from the summer trip and put them toward building a stronger community and helping those in need locally:

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“Workcamp was a great experience for me, especially the second time! The thing that I loved about workcamp was the interaction with peers from all over the nation. Meeting and talking with people that I didn’t know took me out of my comfort zone and turned out to be a lot of fun. We had a select group of kids that we worked with during the day, but later on we could do things such as hang out or show our athletic ability by competing against different churches in a basketball tournament.

“Although most of the camp was fun and easygoing, there was a serious side to it as well. We were there to serve others who were in need.

“My group, for example, skirted a woman’s trailer, which was very old and in horrible condition. Our resident was the nicest woman and was very generous. She provided us with paper towels everyday, always welcomed us in from the hot sun and also provided us with chairs to sit on during our breaks. She did this even though she had been through a lot, from losing her house to a fire, then losing her house from eviction. She now has very little and is living in a small trailer.

“This workcamp was the most meaningful experience that touched my heart and touched the heart of the resident that we assisted.

A year ago, I was hesitant to say yes to a workcamp trip, but after two years, I can’t wait to go back! It feels good to help others, and there is no greater reward than to see the resident’s face after a job well-done.”

— Davis Kelton, 11th grade, Grimsley High School

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“I learned so much while at workcamp. The experience itself was an enriching one, to be able to help those that need it more than others. The residents that we helped either did not have the financial means or the physical ability to be able to fix their homes themselves. The crew I was on helped a woman re-skirt her trailer on the bottom and rebuild her porch.

“Our resident was one of the kindest women I have ever met, and she was so grateful for what we did for her.

Workcamp was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I would love to do it again next summer.”

— Marisa Lazusky, 11th grade, Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School