Camp Grier: Volunteer This Fall!

The summer camp season has ended at Camp Grier.  Camp staff are now ready to recruit and host volunteers who will work at the Global Village to prepare and build the necessary facilities there so that the village can open officially in 2013.  Volunteers are critical to the success of the village and to ensuring that the village will open on schedule.

 

Camp Greer’s Global Village will:   

·         help mission teams be well prepared for future work and service as they build relationships and work alongside their mission hosts.

·         provide ways for campers to learn about the living conditions and challenges encountered in developing countries – campers will also learn about those who work in far off places to help solve problems related to food insecurity and limited fuel for cooking, the lack of clean water and safe shelter, as well as the health challenges related to limited or absent sanitation facilities.

·         offer casual Camp Grier visitors the opportunity to be exposed to the purpose and promises of the Global Village as they walk through the Village.

 

The Global Village will create knowledge through education, problem solving and hands-on experiences.  The village is A WORK IN PROGRESS and NEEDS YOUR HELP AS A VOLUNTEER—.

Volunteer Opportunity dates in 2012:

·         Friday and Saturday September 14th and 15th.  Friday afternoon and evening will be a time of check-in, orientation and a potluck supper. Work will begin Saturday morning, 9 AM and end at 3 PM. Cut-off date for volunteer registration is September 6^th.

·         Friday and Saturday October 12th  and 13th.  Friday afternoon and evening will be a time of check-in, orientation and a potluck supper. Work will begin Saturday morning , 9 AM and end at 3 PM. Cut-off date for volunteer registration is October 4^th.

·         To register for a volunteer weekend and for more details go to the Camp Grier Website:  http://www.campgrier.org/

 

Work will include:  preparing building sites, constructing a cook shed and composting toilet,  putting down the gravel floor for the Brick and Charcoal Shed, beginning the Global Village gardens, sifting sand and constructing a slow sand water filter and water system,  dismantling and savaging materials for the village.   All skill levels are needed—all tasks are important—everyone will be challenged and everyone will share lots of fun and friendship along the way.  Everyone will have the opportunity to learn more about the purposes of the Global Village, as well as, how Global Village experiences can impact the lives of those who take part in village experiences and those who will benefit from skills learned in the village.

All volunteers will leave knowing that they have played a HUGE role in helping the village become a unique and important place of learning and improving the lives of others.

 

Some Old and New Global Village News

Nathan McMahan—Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church member and Mars Hill College Staff has volunteered to work on the curriculum for the Global Village. His goal is to create the framework for the material and to give it form, along with beginning details. Needless to say.. This is no small task – a task that will require the input and support of us all as the curriculum is refined and as details are added.  Thank you, Nathan

The Brick and Charcoal Shed has been completed. Thanks to all who worked through heat and rain!

We have a donor for the brick making machine. Thank you. Other donations have been received—Our thanks to all.

·         Geo-tech fabric for the gravel floors in the Brick and Cook Shed and the foundation for the composting toilet

·         Drywall plastic buckets

·         300 gallon water storage tank

·         Plastic PVC piping and fittings

Two of the “real” necessaries at the Global Village and the key to the health of our friends and neighbors in developing countries—is proper sanitation and clean water—those two go hand in hand.   When people have access to these facilities over 50% of health issues are solved.  —something we don’t really think about in our homes--when we flush the toilet and turn on the tap.

 

At the Global Village we will build a composting toilet.

The double vaults are built above ground, are watertight and require the separation of urine from solids. Only one compartment of the double vault is used at a time. When one vault is full, the riser or seat is moved to the empty side and the full side is closed so it can complete the composting process before the humanure is removed for use.

Composting toilets offer a tremendous health and environmental advantage over pit toilets. Ground water and wells are not polluted; flies cannot breed in the toilets; mosquitoes and animals cannot spread diseases; they are relatively odor free when properly used and the humanure can be used in gardens. Complete, accurate information and education ensure the success of the system.

Yes, we do have our hat out for donations.

 

Camp Grier  received a $1,000 grant from the WNC Presbytery and a $500 donation toward creation of the Global Village logo and graphics. Those funds did not create a deep pocket for the GV start-up cost. A few more dollars are needed---please make this need known—first to ourselves, then friends and others folks that might be interested in the work.  Suggesting that a financial donation would be appreciated—we do not need a lot of dollars and do want to stay on the lean side so that we do not bend to temptation of overbuilding the GV—but a goal of $5,000 seems reasonable. Give it some thought—if you know someone that might be interested —please have them send a check to:  Attn:   Dave Cohn—made out to Camp Grier with Global Village marked on the memo line—the address is Camp Grier, PO Box 490, Old Fort, NC 28762    Donations can also be made on line at http://www.campgrier.org/index.html.

Some of the larger dollar needs are:

Cook shed--$400-500.

Gravel --$450-600.

Composting latrine--$300-500.

Please consider volunteering for one of the weekends listed above—you will make a difference.