Heat, humidity and the threat of a summer storm didn't stop Alyson Seim from working hard to transform the exterior of a home along Lincoln Highway in Wrightsville. Alyson, a rising sophomore from the Wrightsville area, was joined by a group of peers who completed painting work on the house as part of the Eastern York Workcamp Initiative.

"I really like helping people," she said. "I like making a difference, and I really believe that everyone who needs help should get it."

The program, which ran from June 25 through July 1, welcomed 221 students from Pennsylvania, Virginia, Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire and Ohio to participate in mission work. They painted, built handicapped-accessible ramps, fixed decks and more at 30 sites throughout York County.

The camp was created by Joe Bachman in 2018. A youth group leader at Faith United Methodist Church in Hallam, Bachman had taken youths on other mission trips throughout the United States when he decided to focus on helping closer to home.

"I was hesitant to do a local program, because I wondered if the kids would be interested in participating if they weren't traveling somewhere," he recalled. He didn't need to worry.

"It turned out they were really excited about making a difference in their own community," he said, noting that students often point out homes they've worked on when they're out and about.

The Eastern York Workcamp Initiative provides home repair to low-income, elderly or disabled people. "Home repair makes a long-term impact," Bachman said. "We're not doing yard work or pulling weeds. Weeds come back. We are doing things that will last for the long term and help people stay in their homes."

The Eastern York program is under the umbrella of Group Cares, a nonprofit volunteer service organization headquartered in Colorado that partners with communities across the country and internationally to co-sponsor hundreds of volunteer home repair and community service work camps throughout the summer.

The first Eastern York camp was held in 2018, with 180 students participating. By 2020, it had grown significantly. "We had 400 coming in 2020 when we had to cancel because of the pandemic," Bachman said.

This year marks the first time the camp has returned since then, and many of the recipients were originally on the list for repairs in 2020. "They have been waiting three years for this work to be done, and they haven't done it because of the cost," Bachman stated. "That shows you the need they have."

Students worked on the homes during the day and spent the night at Eastern York Middle School, where they began and ended each day with programs based on Bible verses, featuring songs and skits.

"I have really enjoyed meeting all these new people," said Mia Holtz, a rising senior from Connecticut. "You're thrown in with people you don't know, but within a day, you become really close, and by the end of the week, you're like family."