By Allyson Ferrari, Volunteer Manager
On Thursday, August 4, six volunteers from Verizon Media came to volunteer for half a day at Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind (EHC). Despite the warm day promised by the weather app, they got to work with enthusiasm. The morning was spent shoveling out a mound of wood chips by the Cook’s Cabin to get them level and spread out.
This small but mighty group of volunteers accomplished quite a lot before their half day of volunteering concluded. While the spreading of wood chips might feel like a mundane and tedious task, they completed a crucial project for our camp. An immediate gain is that there is now a clearer delineation between the roadway and the wood chip area, so that campers may recognize when they’re going “off roading” and thus have lost their course to the archery range or the nature trail. The spreading of the wood chips will also help in our constant fire abatement efforts. Wood chips smother any opportunity for weeds to grow, which often become dry and brittle in the summer and fall, making excellent fire fuel. While it is a small patch of land, every bit of fire abatement contributes to ensure that EHC may endure for many more generations to come.
Following the morning’s hot and hard work, Verizon volunteers hung out in the breezeway next to the Dining Hall and met some of the STEM and Music Campers who were gathered there for the week. Volunteer Linda told us all about her current kitchen projects; camper Aaronshowed us the work he and his band have put together for the next day’s concert; and staff member Jamey Gump invited the group to sample some of his honey made from Poison Oak Blossoms (it’s totally safe!). EHC Director Tony Fletcher Jamey, then showed us some of the Wappo artifacts that PG&E had discovered while clearing trees at Enchanted Hills Camp.
Verizon’s team gave a few hours and truly left their mark on . From all of us at EHC and the LightHouse, thank you for giving your time and we hope to welcome you back at EHC again soon! If you are part of a group, company or organization looking for an excellent volunteer opportunity, email us at volunteer@lighthouse-sf.org.
