Group lends hand across country
WORTH TWP — There were a lot of happy campers this week at the Slippery Rock Baptist Camp, 130 Elliott Lane.
Nearly 125 children were scattered through the 72-acre property, swimming, taking on the climbing wall or playing soccer, among other camp activities.
Rev. Dave Maitland, the camp director, oversaw the happy chaos and shuttled back and forth in a golf cart delivering messages and supplies.
But perhaps the happiest of all were the members of Roving Volunteers in Christ's Service, who were finishing up nearly a month's worth of repair and construction work at the church camp.
RVICS members are retirees who live in motor homes and travel trailers driving through the country lending a hand where needed at camps, schools, churches and conference centers.
A group of eight RVICS members spent almost a month at the Baptist camp painting, building and wiring where asked to by Maitland.
RVICS member Nettie Hansen said the group arrived June 17 and planned to leave today.
“We live in the RVs for the month,” she said. “Half of the group have homes, and the other half are full-time RVers.”
She said she and her husband, Harvey, don't have a fixed address and just travel around the country.
“You can call us nomads, gypsies or the homeless,” she said. “We've been with the group three years and this is our 18th project.”
Annie Leet and her husband, Arnie, joined RVICS five months ago and this will be their fourth project for the group, Annie Leet said. They also travel full time.
The Hansens were originally from South Dakota. The Leets were from Ohio.
Joyce and Jim Olsen of Stuart, Fla., unlike the Leets and the Hansens, still have a home to go back to. They have been with the group for a year.
“I'm a CPA, but after tax season is over we hit the road with these folks,” said Jim Olsen.
“We've painted the exterior of the shower house and cleaned the inside. We've cleaned the cafe above the dining hall and sewed new curtains for it,” said Nettie Hansen.
Their husbands tackled other projects, such as constructing a picnic shelter or installing wiring in the under-construction staff quarters.
Jim Olsen and Harvey Hansen built a 24-by-28-foot picnic shelter by the camp's soccer fields.
“We started with bare lawn. We dug the holes and put in the posts, built the frame, put up the trusses, put up the sheeting,” said Henry Hansen, who with Olsen was putting a final coat of paint on the shelter.
“It's an opportunity to do something constructive, get some exercise and meet a lot of people,” said Hansen.
Arnie Leet spent his time at the camp wiring the new staff quarters for electricity.
“I'm roughing it in, just pulling in wiring. Then I'm going to meet with the electricians,” said Leet, a former insurance inspector and teacher of electrical skills at a technical college.
Nettie Hansen said she and Harvey will next go to a church camp in Ohio in September after exploring Pennsylvania in the interim.She said, “We read about the group in a magazine, Good Sam's. It's an RV magazine.”Annie Leet said, “My husband and I found it on the Internet. We were looking for full-time volunteer work.”Joyce Olsen said, “A team came to our local church at home and inspired us, and that is how we got involved.”About 100 couples serve annually in 14 teams across the country, according to RVICS.“We get a sign-up sheet in the spring that gives all the options for service,” said Nettie Hansen. “We pick our first, second and third options, fill it out and send it in. Headquarters makes the choices.“We are encouraged to work three projects a year,” she said.“The members' hobbies and experiences like electrical work or plumbing are taken into consideration,” said Joyce Olsen. “They will put together a team that is qualified.”“Usually there are teams of six couples. Some we know and some we don't. By the end of the month we are good friends,” Nettie Hansen said.“We never know what we are going to do,” said Joyce Olsen.Nettie Hansen said the host site is responsible for supplying the materials and supplies needed, parking spots and hookups for electricity and sewage. The RVICS members are responsible for their own meals. “Most of the men have whole tool shops in their trucks. Women have sewing machines,” said Nettie Hansen.“We sold everything we had or gave it away or donated it,” said Leet when she and Arnie retired. “We live in the motor home now. We're doing this full time.”
