Volunteer Work at YMCA Camp Bonds Students
Samantha Christian
Issue date: 5/6/09 Section: News
Bill Van Ess, a 1985 graduate of St. Norbert College, continued the men's program's annual Spring Work Day when he recruited five SNC students and another alumnus to participate in volunteer clean-up work on Friday, April 24 at the Greater Green Bay YMCA Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya.
Established in 1937 and known as the "Place of Friends," this year-round camp is located about 60 miles northwest of De Pere in Suring, Wis. on the banks of Chute Pond.
"I'm always happy to take a car full of students to camp to volunteer...It's fun, and camp needs our help," Van Ess said in email correspondence with the St. Norbert Times.
Van Ess was joined by trip participants Michael Cegelski '07, Cyle Schneider '10, Jordan Neeck '11, Rodrigo Villalobos Arevalo '12, and two ESL students Julian Herrera and Luis Quibrera who helped get the YMCA camp ready for the summer.
Neeck explained that the men were mainly responsible for disassembling old, rotting docks. Among them, Schneider was given the task of installing the new dock.
"They had two or three docks that they didn't want anymore - because they are building new ones - and so we pretty much destroyed them and got rid of them," Villalobos said.
Villalobos also remarked that the demolition work of destroying these docks was a lot of fun. "Not that I was frustrated, but I just enjoyed it," he added with a grin.
Although it was cold and rainy, after a while the men forgot about the weather when they met three students from South West Green Bay High School who were at the camp fulfilling their service requirement. "We were having a really good time - they helped us a lot," Villalobos said.
Van Ess added that in the fall there is another opportunity to help out at Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya.
"It's going to be a little bit different, I don't think we help build or destroy stuff, but we scare kids for Halloween so I'm looking forward to that," Villalobos added.
Both Neeck and Villalobos are interested in helping out at camp again next year and would recommend this opportunity to anyone.
Neeck reflected that his favorite part was "definitely developing friendships with the other men I was working with. We really bonded during the service work."
"It's a great opportunity to get away from campus, your routine, and whatever you're doing and have time to yourself even when you're with people. That's the feeling that you get, at least that's what I feel. It's a great place, and the people are so nice," Villalobos said.
Established in 1937 and known as the "Place of Friends," this year-round camp is located about 60 miles northwest of De Pere in Suring, Wis. on the banks of Chute Pond.
"I'm always happy to take a car full of students to camp to volunteer...It's fun, and camp needs our help," Van Ess said in email correspondence with the St. Norbert Times.
Van Ess was joined by trip participants Michael Cegelski '07, Cyle Schneider '10, Jordan Neeck '11, Rodrigo Villalobos Arevalo '12, and two ESL students Julian Herrera and Luis Quibrera who helped get the YMCA camp ready for the summer.
Neeck explained that the men were mainly responsible for disassembling old, rotting docks. Among them, Schneider was given the task of installing the new dock.
"They had two or three docks that they didn't want anymore - because they are building new ones - and so we pretty much destroyed them and got rid of them," Villalobos said.
Villalobos also remarked that the demolition work of destroying these docks was a lot of fun. "Not that I was frustrated, but I just enjoyed it," he added with a grin.
Although it was cold and rainy, after a while the men forgot about the weather when they met three students from South West Green Bay High School who were at the camp fulfilling their service requirement. "We were having a really good time - they helped us a lot," Villalobos said.
Van Ess added that in the fall there is another opportunity to help out at Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya.
"It's going to be a little bit different, I don't think we help build or destroy stuff, but we scare kids for Halloween so I'm looking forward to that," Villalobos added.
Both Neeck and Villalobos are interested in helping out at camp again next year and would recommend this opportunity to anyone.
Neeck reflected that his favorite part was "definitely developing friendships with the other men I was working with. We really bonded during the service work."
"It's a great opportunity to get away from campus, your routine, and whatever you're doing and have time to yourself even when you're with people. That's the feeling that you get, at least that's what I feel. It's a great place, and the people are so nice," Villalobos said.
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