Applications Needed for Group WorkCamps. Home Rehab Repairs!

NeighborWorks  Dakota Home Resources Plans to Bring up to 400volunteers to Sturgis to Improve the Homes of Local Area Residents

Deadwood, SD- NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources is hosting the sixth annual Group WorkCamp in July 10^th-16^th through out the Black Hills. Over 400 adult and teenage volunteers will provide free home repairs to over 70 local residents. 

The repairs are being provided through the Group Cares (formerly Group Workcamps Foundation) program, sponsored locally by NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources. The Group Cares (formerly Group Workcamps Foundation) is a non-profit, interdenominational Christian volunteer home-repair organization headquartered in Loveland, Colorado.  This summer, an anticipated 25,000 young people and adults will participate in 43 Workcamps in communities across the United States and Canada. 

At each Workcamp, volunteers – all members of church youth groups – volunteer a week of their time to repair homes throughout the community.  “This represents about 12,000 hours of volunteer labor, worth over $110,000, to the community,” said Sharon Martinisko, Community Outreach Coordinator of NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources.

“These really are remarkable young people,” said Jeff Thompson, of Group Cares (formerly Group Workcamps Foundation).  “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.”

This year’s Workcamp will be housed at Sturgis Brown High School in Sturgis,  “This incredible service to the area would be impossible without the wonderful cooperation of the Sturgis Brown High School,” remarked Ms. Martinisko of NeighborWorks.  Group Cares (formerly Group Workcamps Foundation) will reimburse all lodging costs to Sturgis Brown High School.

NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources is a non-profit whose mission is to assist in providing decent, safe and affordable housing and revitalizing neighborhoods to improve the quality of life in our communities.  NeighborWorks encourages anyone in need of assistance in doing home repairs to apply.   Repairs offered through the Workcamp include interior and exterior painting, weatherization, porch construction and repair, wheelchair ramp construction, and other work.  Residents in North Rapid City and the Northern Black Hills (within 40 minutes of Sturgis Brown High School) can

obtain an application online at www.nhsblackhills.org or by calling 578-1401 to have an application mailed.  The Workcamp repairs will take place July 10 – 16^th, 2011.  All applications are due to NeighborWorks by April 15^th.

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