It’s a cold Saturday in February and the rain is bone chilling. Yet, there is a group of high school age young people wearing yellow rain coats working on one of the Camp’s roads. They are busy shoveling dirt off a truck and into the pot holes that riddle the dirt roads on the grounds. Most high school kids would probably choose a different way to spend a cold, wet Saturday, but these high schoolers are not just any young people. They are here as a group through the Stanwood-based organization, Serve it Up.

Serve it Up is an organization that connects Stanwood High School students who need to complete their community service requirements for graduation with over 40 local organizations that need volunteer help. Serve it Up is part of the non-profit organization, Stanwood Community Ministries, that operates “The Station,” a non-profit coffee shop/game room in downtown Stanwood. Since June of 2010, 120 Serve it Up students have contributed 993 hours of volunteer service through 35 projects. Four of those projects have been on the grounds of Warm Beach Camp.

Serve it Up provided two volunteer groups during The Lights of Christmas in December 2010, and two more groups were here to help improve WBC’s grounds last month.

Brian Hoyer, the leader of Serve it Up, says, “The kids always have a good time at Warm Beach,” even after filling pot holes on a rainy day. Brian said, “The staff at the Camp understand youth culture and they communicate with the kids really well. And, it’s great to get everyone outside.”

Are you looking for a way to fulfill your community service requirements? Warm Beach Camp can provide a way for you to meet your requirements that is satisfying and rewarding. We are currently recruiting volunteers to help with everything from painting projects to saddle cleaning. We can customize your volunteer experience to fit your time frame and range of skills, and offer projects that can accommodate groups or individuals from near or far.

If you need more information or would like a complete list of opportunities available, contact Jessica Beach at 360-652-7575 x2276 or jbeach@warmbeach.com. Or, check out our volunteer page.