February 4th

Camp Volunteers Make A Difference

In December, camp volunteers gathered for a Christmas banquet at Camp Assiniboia, hosted by Mennonite Church Manitoba Camps with Meaning staff. This annual event allows staff to thank the many volunteers who make our camping and retreat ministries possible.

Dorothy Fontaine, Director of Camps with Meaning, reflected on the importance of volunteers to Camps with Meaning. “Our volunteers, whether they are committee members, summer volunteers, or year round-volunteers, are not only vital to our ministry, but are key to our camp community,” she said. “You bring your prayers and encouragement. As people who tend to know camp best, we value your thoughts and ideas. You’re critical to our ministry.”

In 2024, there were 68 volunteers from 18 MCM churches helping out at summer camps. These volunteers do everything from serving as health officers to serving in the kitchen, from being camp pastors to helping out with camp maintenance.

“The summer volunteers are an incredible group of people,” says Dorothy. “What other program invites older adults to serve in support roles so that young adults can run the programs? That doesn’t happen in many organizations, and yet year after year, a very special group of people come to do just this.”

In addition to these summer volunteers, there is a group of around fifteen year-round volunteers at Camp Assiniboia, affectionately called the “Wednesday Crew” because they come that day each week (see image). The Wednesday Crew tackles maintenance projects around the camp, including lawn mowing, tree clearing, building renovations, furniture repair, and more.

“I was looking for meaningful activity in retirement, and with my love of camp this seemed like a great fit,” says Henry Kliewer (Charleswood). “I love being able to walk and worship in the woods as I work, and one of my favourite experiences was creating the signs for the meditation trail at Camp Assiniboia.”

“The Wednesday Crew has been going for years,” adds Dorothy. “They work hard to keep everything running smoothly. I often say, we couldn’t run camp without them, nor would we want to!”

We are grateful to God for our camp volunteers—and we’re always looking for more! If you’d like to volunteer during summer camps, check out www.campswithmeaning.org/staff. If you’re interested in joining our regular Wednesday Crew at Camp Assiniboia, whether for a day or every week, contact Ed at camaintenance@campswithmeaning.org. Similar volunteer opportunities are available at Camp Koinonia; contact Paul and Elisa at campkoinoniamanager@gmail.com.