This marked the 13th summer that volunteers have been on the campus of Upper Columbia Academy (UCA) in Spangle, Wash. Each summer a group of volunteers comes to UCA to work on special projects. Organized by Jim Mann, UCA maintenance director, they help keep the campus up and running. "These people are an amazing asset to our church and school," says John Winslow, UCA principal.
This summer 17 volunteers from throughout the Northwest and Canada came to campus for two weeks to work on projects such as painting, replacing siding and windows on staff housing, and tearing down and rebuilding an old garage. "It is an amazing amount of help to have a group with us for two weeks," Mann says.
Many of the volunteers come back year after year and can point to numerous things on campus they have been a part of fixing, renovating or replacing. "The biggest project we have done with the volunteers would be the church," says Mann. "One summer they helped us remodel the whole interior."
Mann plans to continue the volunteer program in an effort to keep up with improvements on the UCA campus. A majority of this year's volunteers are planning to return again next summer. "Most importantly, the work they do has a positive impact for eternity," says Winslow.
Volunteers work on pouring concrete for one of the UCA campus projects.
For 13 years, volunteers have teamed up with the Upper Columbia Academy maintenance department to help with special projects on campus.
