GUIDELINES

All adult volunteers and students who participate in Flower City Work Camp do so through a participating church.  We require this because as individuals they all reside under the authority of the Church.  Therefore, the Church is the conduit for their service in Flower City Work Camp.

Flower City Work Camp is made up of a network of participating churches.  These churches send their participants to serve as part of our ministry.  All participants agree to adhere to our Statement of Faith & Belief and the FCO Code of Conduct in order to ensure we are all on the same page.  Each church that applies to participate acknowledges that it will contribute volunteers into our organization in order to make our work safe and successful.  During the church application process, we will verify that your Senior Pastor has agreed with and supports your church’s participation in our program.

 

Who Should You Bring?

On the student side, you can bring students who are currently enrolled in 7th – 12th grades.  For homeschoolers, we ask that students identify with the grade level they would be at if they haven’t worked ahead.  The issue is more about maturity than education – they must be ready to be away from home for a week, take direction well, socialize with peers, etc.  If any student doesn’t have the maturity or isn’t ready, you should encourage them to wait a year or two.  High school seniors who have already turned 18 but haven’t graduated from high school should still come as a student.

On the adult volunteer side, everyone over the age of 18 is eligible to serve.  All adults will be background checked prior to participation in Work Camp and will need to complete training with our Youth Protection Program.  In our experience, former campers should be encouraged to take a 1-2 year break after they “graduate” from Work Camp.  It can sometimes be difficult for students to see these younger adult volunteers as authority figures, and that is what we need them to be.  If you think they are mature enough to participate, it is best for them to serve as an All Other Volunteer, not out with one of the program teams.  We will work with you case-by-case to determine what is best.

In general, we ask that if a church wouldn’t take an adult volunteer or student on any other mission trip, they also wouldn’t bring them to Flower City Work Camp.

 

What Is Required?

There is no fee assessed for churches to participate in Work Camp.  Students are the only ones who pay a participation fee.  But, we say that Work Camp is a ministry of the whole church because churches must contribute in a lot of other resources in order to participate successfully.  These include:

Church Rep – Each church must identify one representative to serve as the main point of contact with our organization, to attend monthly meetings and coordinate applications of both volunteers and students at their church.  This can be the church’s youth director, but doesn’t have to be.  Attendance at monthly meetings is mandatory.

Lunch Coordinator – Each church is asked to provide lunches throughout the week, the number of which is determined by the size of the group of students being sent from that participating church.  These meals can be prepared or purchased, and the lunch coordinator is in charge of determining how that will be accomplished and making sure those lunches are delivered.  It is best if this person is not also the Church Rep.

Required Volunteer Leaders – Each church must send 1 Required Volunteer for every 3 students attending Work Camp.  This requirement ensures that we are able to field enough leaders across Work Camp for safety, guidance and mentoring.  The roles that qualify as a Required Volunteer Leader are:

• Worksite Leader
• Sidewalk Club Leader
• Sport Camp Leader
• Agency Support Leader

Overnight Leaders – Each church must provide one overnight leader for each set of boys and girls attending Work Camp.  It is beneficial when the same Overnight Leaders are on hand all week, but a pair or group of leaders can take turns covering the nights as well.  If your group of students is large, the Overnight Leader Coordinator will work with your church rep to determine how many leaders are needed.  If your church is only sending students of one biological sex, you only need to provide one corresponding overnight leader.

Security Volunteers – We ask that each church contribute at least one security volunteer for the week (or one for each day) so that we are able to staff this team adequately.

All Other Volunteers – There are many other areas for adults to serve inside of Work Camp, such as being a Worksite Gofer or Roving Expert, preparing meals in the kitchen, providing security, serving on the Medical Team if qualified, etc.  Each church should encourage their congregation to get involved and help out!

For a complete list of events, deadlines and activities, visit our Calendar page.