“Roofs…are every bit as important as ensuring that
there are enough marshmallows for the s’mores.”
Two West Haven Camp buildings have new roofs thanks to Mission & Service support.
Credit: Sharon Bell
When is a roof more than a roof? This isn’t a trick question. Buying a roof isn’t exciting. It isn’t particularly inspiring, either. But it is necessary, and it is what allows exciting, inspiring things to take place safely beneath it.
Thanks to your gifts through Mission & Service, West Haven United Church Camp in the Humber Valley region of Newfoundland and Labrador was able to repair the roofs of its registration building and cookhouse.
Picture what happens under these roofs: Staff gather to plan activities for young campers; families line up to register little ones who will learn skills and make friendships that last a lifetime; faith deepens through prayers and camp songs; hungry campers chat excitedly over healthy meals and, best of all, snacks.
A roof is more than a roof when it facilitates sharing food, friendship, and faith.
Your generosity through Mission & Service is often directed to “core funding.” Sometimes our church supports trendy projects, but often we support trusted organizations that decide themselves which projects most need to be completed or which organizational infrastructure needs to be funded.
That’s a good thing for two reasons. First, it means that partners can direct the support to projects that aren’t as easy to get funding for―seemingly mundane things like roofs, for example. Second, it means that when emergencies happen, like a global pandemic, the funds aren’t earmarked for a particular project and can be quickly redirected where they are needed most.
“With West Haven’s emphasis on expanding campers’ physical, mental, and spiritual health, roofs might be the farthest thing from most campers’ minds, but they are every bit as important as ensuring that there are enough marshmallows for the s’mores,” says Josephine Belbin, director of grants at West Haven.
Mission & Service doesn’t always support exciting projects, but we always support necessary, meaningful ones.
Thank you for being the kind of informed supporter who knows that a roof isn’t really a roof: It’s safety. It’s community. It’s love.