The University of Notre Dame Alumni Association will host Family Volunteer Camp July 7 to 26.
This marks the 20th year for the camp, which invites alumni and their families to return to campus and take part in community service projects around the South Bend-Elkhart region.
This year’s camp will run Sunday through Friday for three weeks — July 7-12, 14-19 and 21-26 — with about 125 participants each week, including spouses, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and other friends and family of alumni.
Campers stay on campus and enjoy access to Rockne Memorial and St. Joseph Beach as well as trivia, a scavenger hunt and other evening activities. Meals are served in the South Dining Hall.
Campers perform a total of 20 to 25 hours of service during the week. Children are able to count those hours toward service requirements for school or sacramental preparation, but ultimately it's about giving back to the community and to others.
“The mission is to engage alumni in service and provide them with the opportunity to bring their families to campus to experience that as well,” said Annie Envall, service program director with the Notre Dame Alumni Association.
“It’s also a chance for parents to pass along those values of volunteerism and community service,” Envall said.
Campers pay a fee to cover the cost of housing, food and other expenses. Still, the Alumni Association typically receives more applications for the camp than there are spots available.
Partners for this year’s camp include Unity Gardens, Hope Ministries, the Center for the Homeless, the Food Bank of Northern Indiana, Hannah and Friends and St. Margaret’s House, among others.
For more information, visit my.nd.edu/fvc.