Why WAYS?

GOALS:

• To assist homeowners, who are financially or in other ways unable to care properly for their homes, or to assist non-profit human service agencies in maintenance or cleanup of their property.
• To gather people of Faith from the greater Worcester Area to work together in mission.

EXPECTATIONS:

• Any individual or agency may recommend a site for consideration
• There will be no cost to homeowners
• Residents/homeowners will be expected to be at home and help with the work to the extent of their ability
• A coordinating local church must be established for each site. (Their minimum commitment will be to recruit a “site supervisor”.)

PARTICIPANTS

• Adults: skilled and unskilled, are greatly needed.
• Teenagers: This event is a WAYS (for adults and Senior High youth ages 14 and older) and WAYS II (for Middle and High School youth) event.
• Advisors: youth groups must include one adult (age 21 or older) for every five teenagers. Adults are responsible for supervising the youth on the worksite.

ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE

• Please plan to arrive between 8:30 and 9:00 AM to register. All individuals are expected to remain for the entire workday, which concludes at 5:00PM each day. Leaving early or arriving late will mean that your group will have to try to cover your assigned work and that homeowners may be disappointed. [If a shortened day is unavoidable, please make clear arrangements with the coordinator ahead of time so we can include this knowledge in our work plans.]

FEES

• A $10 fee is required to reserve rights to one space. The deposit is not refundable after the deadline of one week prior to the event. We need to maintain a full roster to honor our commitments to homeowners. Also, fees are used to provide participants with the necessary information to adequately prepare for the workcamp and to purchase supplies. Fees are transferable to another participant who can take your place.
• You may add registrations to your registered group as long as space is available. A $10 fee for each person will be required. If space is not available, each additional person will be placed on a waiting list on a first-come, first-serve basis.

SPONSORSHIPS

• For WAYS (Adults and Senior High Youth): Each participant is expected to obtain a minimum of $20 in sponsorship money. Our willingness to volunteer our time necessitates materials with which to work. Congregational and individual sponsorship moneys enable us to do this work. The more sponsorship money each individual solicits, the more work we are able to do. (There is no agency providing financial backing for the WAYS projects beyond some help in defraying administrative costs.)
• For WAYS II(Middle School events): Sponsorships are not required but are encouraged if possible.
• Please report the total amount of your sponsorship with your registration or by E-mail or FAX at least ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE EVENT.
• Please send in your sponsorship money in advance or bring all money pledged with you to your first day of registration. We will be relying on this money to pay for materials purchased. It is important that you contribute what you report to us as a pledge even if illness or emergency prevents you from attending.

TOOLS

• Each participant (adult and youth) will be asked to bring tools to the workcamp, if they have them readily available. Power tools will only be used by those over 18 years. Please mark all tools with your name. Goggles, gloves and sturdy shoes are required for everyone. (See "Tools to Bring.")

T-SHIRTS

• There will be some available for sale at the event.
• WAYS: T-shirts are $10 each and are optional. (suggestion: bring a laundry marker so your friends can sign them)
• WAYS II: T-shirts are included for anyone who has not received one in the past.

CANCELLATIONS

• If a person from your group cancels after the deadline, one week prior to the event, the fee is not refundable. If, at the time of cancellation, someone who did not originally register with your group would like to attend, that new person may be substituted and assume the $10 fee for the person who cancelled.

For More Information about WAYS

For Information about WAYS workdays or for information about work projects for your group in the Central MA area on other dates please contact:

The Rev. Shantia Wright-Gray
Mission Educator and WAYS Coordinator for
Tthe Worcester Area Mission Society, UCC

shantiawg@gmail.com
978-422-6256 home/office
508-450-2001 Cell

48 Main St.
Sterling, MA 01564