Fall Work Days Saturdays — Oct 6 & Nov 3

Get outside, stretch your muscles and make a difference! Gather friends, family or a group from your church for a day of service. Projects vary depending on current needs, the weather and the skills of those attending. Our list is growing and already includes painting, cleaning, weeding, raking, cleaning, tree & brush removal and fence work.

On Saturday, Oct 6 we’ll set-up and prep the grounds for Fall Festival. On Saturday, Nov 3, we’ll tackle whatever is left on our list. Click here for a flier, or for more information contact DuBois Center at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202.

The Circle of (Camp) Life

This summer – in addition to the chaplains, nurses, and Sunday Welcome Team – 26 volunteers contributed 21 weeks of counseling and over six weeks of program support. They could be found all over camp – including at the barn, the craft grotto, and the office. Many of these volunteers are former campers, staff from the past decade, or both! This cycle of camper-volunteer-staff-volunteer helps to keep fun traditions alive as new traditions develop.
Paired with ideas from new members of DuBois Center’s family, we create a camping experience that is uniquely organic and uniquely DuBois.
Our volunteer counselors and program folks also help to inject fresh energy and ideas even in the most mind-numbing heat. THANK YOU for all the wonderful things you do for our campers – we love seeing old friends and making new ones!

Fall Festival – VOLUNTEER! — Sunday, October 7

DuBois Center’s annual Fall Festival is powered by the talent, sweat, love and cheer of scores of volunteers. Hopefully you already plan to attend and enjoy some good food, great music, family-friendly activities and creative crafts, but have you considered spending a few hours volunteering? There are lots of ways to serve – assist with parking or greet visitors, drive a boat or a tractor, take tickets or take money, catch pontoon boats or walk horses at the arena, serve food, paint faces or help with set-up or clean-up!

Volunteer and support DuBois Center. Your efforts really do make a big difference! For more information, contact DuBois Center at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202.

FF Volunteers

How You Can Promote Fall Festival

DuBois Center’s Annual Fall Festival is just around the corner and your help is needed to spread the word!
Date: Sun, October 7.
Time: 11 am – 5 pm.
There will be food, music, craft booths, hayrides, horses, boat tours, crafts and activities for kids, and more – something for everyone in the whole family!
Here’s what you can do to help promote:
–   Post flyers around your church and community in black and white or color.
–   Make announcements during services and meetings.
–   Put this link to our Fall Festival web page on your web site and in bulletins.
–   Like and Share our Facebook event.
–   Promote the event on your church’s outdoor sign board.
–   Submit information to your local community newspaper or newsletter.
–   Make it a church event! Promote attendance and/or volunteering as a church or church group.
Thanks in advance for your support of DuBois Center and our annual Fall Festival!

Sunday Welcome Team – Thank You!

Each Sunday of our summer camp season, DuBois Center buzzes with scores of excited campers and their families, all energized and ready for their time at camp. Ensuring a smooth check-in process with as few delays as possible is a tall order – one made possible ONLY with the help of 12-15 volunteers each week. Our Sunday Welcome Team braves the sweaty summer temperatures with smiles on their faces as they direct parking, greet families, check heads for critters, screen health forms, catch and drive pontoon boats, operate the camp store.. and direct the flow of traffic through the check-in process.
This summer, more than 40 different volunteers – many serving on multiple Sundays – made a HUGE difference! On behalf of DuBois Center staff, parents and campers, we would like to extend a hearty and heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who assisted this summer: Donna Asbridge; Rev. Kris, Nicole, & Casey Avise-Rouse; Mark & Debbie Beckmeyer; Norma Borgmann; Craig & Rev. Katie Jo Beilke; Joan Daab; Sue Davis; Rev. Christy Eckert; Aaron, Harmon & Susan Fuchs; Audrey Hicks; Rev. John Holst; David Jackson; Leah & Wendy Juenger; Don Kaiser; Kim Karn; Sandy & Scott Kuether; Lisa & Rev. RJ Morgan; Rev. Todd Mushaney; Jessica Nave; Braden & Kelly Neighbors; Anne & Jason Petry; Leigh Poole; Kathy & Rick Porter; Alaina, Ava & Ian Scherle; Leslie Sopp; Joe & Kara Schmid; Laura & Melissa Van Echten; Nancy Wagner; and Darline Weihl.
Sunday Welcome Team Rock Stars: Donna Asbridge, Norma Borgmann and Scott Kuether assisted with all six Sunday check-in days; Audrey Hicks recruited “head check teams” for five weeks of the summer. A special thanks for your hard work and dedication!

Mission Week – May 2018

It was a whirlwind of activity as volunteers from St. Paul UCC in Belleville, Christ UCC in Dupo and other friends of DuBois Center descended the third week of May. Braving unseasonably warm weather, they tackled a variety of projects around camp – at the boat dock, office, beach house, rustic cabins and beyond. Their efforts have already had a significant impact on the quality of the camping experiences we provide.

We have a new boat dock! A small crew deciphered cryptic instructions, assembled the modular pieces and secured them in place – often finding creative approaches to challenges.

Work Week 3

The south side of the office was overhauled. The siding was removed and replaced, and the garage wall was re-framed and the foundation upgraded. When this team opened the section of the wall by the ventilation fan, they discovered FIVE FEET of dried grass, branches and feathers. The massive nesting area was removed and efforts were made to critter-proof the opening.

The beach house also underwent a major overhaul. The walls were painted inside and out, and the pipe-and-shower-curtain changing partitions were replaced with full-length wooden dividers and doors.

Work Week 2

In all ten cabins in the Rustic Village, the electrical wiring was inspected and upgraded, and the ceiling fans and lights replaced with more efficient, more effective, lower profile fixtures.

In the craft area, railings were super-sanded and painted, and supplies were sorted and organized.

MANY THANKS to the volunteers who dedicated their week to making these incredible improvements at DuBois Center!

Welcome Team – Thank You!

We had an amazing turn-out for the Sunday Welcome Team on June 10! Fifteen volunteers greeted and welcomed campers and parents on the first summer camp check-in day of the season.

A special THANKS to Casey & Kris Avise-Rouse, Debbie & Mark Beckmeyer, Norma Borgmann, Sue Davis, Aaron, Susan & Harmon Fuchs, Audrey Hicks, Shelby Jackson, Wendy Juenger, Don Kaiser and Sandy & Scott Kuether. These volunteers packed a whole lot of welcome into just three hours after church. They assisted with the camp store, paperwork review, health screenings, pontoon boat & dock duty and people-moving.

The Welcome Team joined forces with seven full-week volunteers – Donna Asbridge, Nicole Avise-Rouse, Bethaney Brickeen, Rev. Todd Mushaney, Dan Schmidt, Alana Scherle, Marcus Vaughan and the camp staff to make check-in run smoothly. Many of these volunteers hail from Illinois South Conference churches; others are “friends” of DuBois Center. UCC churches represented include Christ UCC – Dupo, St. John UCC – New Athens, St. Paul UCC – Columbia, St. Paul’s UCC – Freeburg, St. Paul UCC – Waterloo, St. Peter UCC – Centralia and Zion UCC – Hoyleton. THANKS for your service. We couldn’t do it without you!

Are you interested in joining our Welcome Team? We have June 24 and July 8, 15 and 22 left this summer! Contact the office at DCInfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202 for more information.

Summer Camp Volunteers

Consider a week (or even a few days) at DuBois Center and join our Summer Camp 2018 team! Wanted: fun, engaging and caring volunteers to serve as nurses, cabin counselors, activity specialists and barn helpers. Minimum age is 18 for most positions; young adults and older adults are welcome. Give of your time and talent, make a difference and gain a wonderful sense of satisfaction!

For more information, go to the volunteer page of our web site or contact Shirley at shirley.director@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202.

Volunteers

It Takes a Village

This common phrase is often used when referring to raising healthy children or families. It is also a great way to describe caring for a camp like DuBois Center. Without the support provided by scores of volunteers, the ministry of DuBois Center would be greatly diminished. Each year, thousands of hours are donated as volunteers care for campers and facilities, provide spiritual guidance and moral support, raise needed funds, and plan and prepare for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities.

Making repairs to the officeLast month, teams from St. Paul UCC in Belleville and Christ UCC in Dupo logged over 500 service hours. Currently a youth mission team from O’Fallon UCC is helping with final preparations for summer camp. On June 10, the first volunteer greeters, nurses, chaplains and counselors of the season will open their arms and welcome campers. Watch for pictures and stories highlighting volunteer efforts in coming editions of Weekly Connection.

Summer Camp Volunteers

Our summer staff team has been hired. Chaplains are busy working on the curriculum for their sessions. Parents are making plans and campers are getting excited. What’s left?! Each week of the summer, 4-6 volunteers work hand in hand with paid staff members to provide our fun and faith-filled program. We hope you will consider a week (or even a few days) of service at DuBois Center.

Wanted: engaging and caring volunteers to serve as nurses, cabin counselors, activity specialists and barn helpers. Minimum age is 18 for most positions; young adults and older adults are welcome. Share your time and talent, make a difference, and gain a wonderful sense of satisfaction. Check out the photo above. Can you pick out the four volunteers?

For more information, go to the volunteer page of our web site or email or call 618-787-2202. If camp isn’t your thing, but you know someone who would be perfect, check out this form or send their contact information directly to Shirley.