News and Views

By Amy A. Willis

Forty years ago, the Rev. Tom Kaylor of Frostburg UMC  looked at the missions projects his and other area churches were involved in, looked at the needs within his own back yard, and noticed a disconnect. 

Western Maryland, originally booming with work on the railroads and in the coal mines, was becoming less industrial and more economically depressed. Many families in the area were hit hard with the loss of jobs and, consequently, income due to the lessening of factory work, railway work, and mining. 

Kaylor realized that the time and talents of his mission teams could be put to use without ever leaving town.  He began Camp Hope, which stands for Christian Appalachian Mountain Project Helping Other People Enthusiastically.  Camp Hope is an organization that assists homeowners in completing necessary upgrades to their homes they might not be able to afford or be physically able to complete themselves. 

Forty years later, Camp Hope is still running stronger than ever and our passion has stayed consistent. The camp has undergone many changes throughout the years. 

At its inception in 1977, camp ran for three weeks with a total of 90 campers.  Now, you can find Camp Hopers in Western Maryland for four weeks throughout the summer.  We have moved around from dorm building to dorm building on the campus of Frostburg State University as we have gradually needed more space to accommodate our now more than 400 campers.  

The camp has been attended by 107 churches of eight denominations from 11 different states.  From painting projects to handicap ramps, flooring to roofing, foundationto landscaping, Camp Hope has expanded their project repertoire to include just about any home improvement project imaginable. 

Campers come from across the country to work on over 50 houses each summer.  Simply walking around in Western Maryland with a Camp Hope badge or t-shirt on elicits whispers, stories, thank yous, and the occasional hug from previous homeowners and others who have been caught in the CAMP HOPE wake. 

Although we strive to do good work, Camp Hope’s true passion lies in building relationships. Each homeowner that agrees to be a part of the Camp Hope experience is deciding to let a team of teenagers use power tools around their house for a week. 

Everyone has a story to tell, and our homeowners are some of the best storytellers in the business.  If you were to walk onto a CAMP HOPE worksite, you would notice at least one or two members of the team hanging out with the homeowner.  Having conversations, learning about the Western Maryland lifestyle and culture, looking at old pictures of weddings and graduations, cooking, watching The Price Is Right – These interactions are the true diamond in the rough of the Camp Hope work.

I have had the privilege of seeing Camp Hope from every angle. I started as a camper as a 14-years-old working on Mr. Davis’ house. I vividly remember the first time I used a pneumatic nail gun and I can still see the look on my adult leader’s face when I accidentally released the chalk line and it wrapped around his head, leaving blue lines across his face.

 More vividly still, I can recall Mr. Davis’ front porch swing.  We had to move the swing into the front yard while rebuilding his porch, but that didn’t deter Mr. Davis from rocking back and forth after lunch every day and telling us about growing up in Old Town, Maryland.  I can see Mr. Davis’ smile and hear his crackling voice as he attempted to teach me about the cars he was working on.  I will never forget that Mr. Davis said we were the hardest working “bunch o’ youngins” he had “encountered in quite some time now.” 

I spent many years coming to Camp Hope as a youth, counselor, and adult leader.  This past summer I began a new adventure as the program director of Camp Hope. As one of the three year-round part-time employees of Camp Hope, I get to see camp evolve throughout the year.  I am able to witness all 400 of our campers as they slowly recognize the power of stepping outside of their comfort zone.  

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the “camp” side of Camp Hope.  Campers are led by four college-aged counselors who create games, activities, programs, and devotions for everyone in attendance.  The only caveat is that the work needs to get done first!  After about a day at CAMP, this caveat doesn’t seem so negative anymore.  campers look forward to spending time with their homeowners and finishing their project – Any volleyball they can fit in is an added benefit!

On the 40^th anniversary of the inception of Camp Hope I pray for everyone involved. Most of all, I pray that the love and passion that permeates Camp Hope spreads from those four weeks during the summer into the lives of everyone involved.  I pray for 40 more years of ministry with the people I hold dearest in the place that feels like home.  Amen. 

For more information about Camp Hope, visit camphopemission.com, or contact Program Director Amy A. Willis at