Camp and Volunteers: Better Together

“Building community.” Every person interviewed for this story said the same thing — Impact Weekend is about more than the work itself (which is also important); it’s about building the YMCA Camp Northern Lights community. 

Impact Weekends happen multiple times a year, typically in the fall and spring. 40-50 volunteers spend the weekend at camp completing a variety of projects. 

In the fall, it’s a chance to clean up after a busy summer and also get the buildings winterized. In the spring, it is the time to pull out programming equipment like canoes and tents, clean cabins, and open everything up for the summer ahead. 

There is also chopping and stacking firewood, maintaining trails, building new things, fixing anything that has been broken … the list goes on and on. With 40 buildings and 130 acres of land, there is always plenty to do.

Program director Kelsa McCormick shared, “Camp gets so cleaned up and put together. The fact that volunteers can accomplish as much as they do in a weekend and help us out in that way is huge.”

Karen Solas, Community Council member and family camp camper, loves hauling freshly cut firewood to all of the woodsheds around camp. She said, “It’s not everybody’s kind of fun. You end the day exhausted, sore, covered in sawdust and spiders. But there are so few things in my life that are that straightforward – move the stuff from here to there. See the piles change. Life is busy and chaotic, complicated, so to just get to spend hours on this simple task is so therapeutic. Getting exercise, being outside, doing a mind-clearing activity, in a place I love, with people I love. It’s not for everybody. But it’s my idea of a good time.”

Community builder

Impact Weekend is essential to keeping camp in working order, but both staff and volunteers are quick to clarify that Impact Weekend is more than a to-do list. 

Sam Kujawa, current property manager at YMCA Camp du Nord, and past property manager at Northern Lights, said, “Impact weekends are a really great introduction to camp. It’s a good chance for families who have never been to camp to come up, be thrown into camp with other families, and make a meaningful connection to Northern Lights. We’ve seen people come for work weekend and then come back for the summer.”

Kyle Fisher is a member of the Northern Lights Community Advisory Board, and he and his family have been family camp campers since 2019. His sons are 14, 12, and 10 years old. All three participate in Impact Weekend. Kyle said, “It’s awesome to spend quality time with my boys. They love going to camp, and this was our chance to give back. I want to continue to build that work ethic with them.”

Carmen Borgeson, also a board member and family camp camper, echoed Kyle’s sentiments. “The great thing about Impact Weekend is that there are jobs that everyone can do.” She added, “You see a different side of your child. If I were to ask my kids to do this stuff at home, they would say ‘no way,’ but when it comes to volunteering, they are all in. I have seen a lot of kids show up that way.”

Everyone is welcome!

Impact Weekend is open to all ages and all skill levels. Sam explained, “We have a huge variety of tasks, and lots of different people. We can find something for everyone to do.”

Karen added, “If you have a skill set, they can find a project for you. The CNL team is good at finding ways to engage people in a way that can benefit camp. You aren’t going to get stuck doing something that makes you miserable.” 

At the end of a hard day of work, volunteers can sauna, canoe, ride bikes, hike, and participate in other camp activities.

Sam said, “Impact weekend is fun. People have time to enjoy camp – we’re intentional about that. It’s always been a great community builder.”

Long after the weekend ends

In the end, Impact Weekend leaves behind more than stacked wood, cleared trails, or cabins ready for the next guests. It leaves moments that linger: tired laughter over shared meals, the pride of work done together, the simple joy of being present in a place that asks us to slow down and show up. These are the memories that shape our connection to Camp Northern Lights — reminders that community isn’t built all at once, but weekend by weekend, task by task, person by person. Long after the tools are put away, what remains is the feeling of belonging, carried home and held like so many other camp moments we’re grateful to remember.