As I mentioned before Passport bills itself as summer camp with a mission. The City of Danville, home of Passport host Averett University, has a lot of opportunity for volunteer service. As recently as the 80s Danville was booming as the home of the Dan River Companies, one of the foremost textile manufacturers in the United States. Efficiency and productivity awards were won during those years. These were the best-run plants of their kind. Up to 50% of the local workforce was employed by Dan River, supporting industries, or in the local service economy directly attributable to the mills. Foreign competition appeared in the late 80s and very soon the mills were no longer competitive. Dan River closed up shop completely around 1994, twenty years ago. The workers who could find greener pastures did so leaving behind the old money people, the now underemployed and the working poor. The population dwindled to 40,000 and the city's future was bleak. In the three years we have been coming here, only recently have there been signs of life. The blighted Main Street still has a long way to go, but down by the river there is a new fountain. Some mill buildings are being repurposed as housing and restaurants. Averett University has opened its new Nursing school in this area. And although there are some vacant shopping centers, the north side of the Dan River away from Danville proper seems to be doing well. There are the big boxes, Target, Walmant, Sam's, Home Depot and Lowes, Danville Mall with Sears and JCPenney, and a couple dozen national and regional chain restaurants. Here are a few of the mission sites where Passport volunteers serve. There are eight sites in all, each served by 2 COK campers and a mix of campers from the other attending church youth groups.
God's Pit Crew assembles emergency supply kits for immediate shipment to families devastated by natural disaster.
A local organization is reclaiming and renovating abandoned properties to house women recently released from incarceration.
The Boys and Girls Club provides a safe, structured place for elementary school youth to spend summer days.
Several houses in downtown Danville occupied by elderly or disabled residents TLC
Cardinal Village is a public housing project. A grandmotherly figure there, Miss Constance, started reading library books to small children under a tree. Now years later this effort has grown to include activities, neighborhood chores, homework help and meals.
The Salvation Army provides prepares meals for clients and acts as a prepared meal collection and distribution center for other organizations, including Cardinal Village.. Salvation Army also receives and sells donated clothing in their thrift store. Assigned with a group of a dozen campers to this site, our tasks included disposing of non-salable items, sorting incoming donations, merchandising, and other duties as assigned. The army personnel were grateful for the help, and the store customers were complementary about seeing young people volunteering in this way. I was particularly impressed with the high quality of donated items. Some trash, yes, but also a lot of new items with tags, dozens of stylish ties, like-new pants nicer than I usually wear.
This is the other magic component of Passport. The youth group we send not only strengthens ties internally, but we discover that we are working side-by-side with Christian brothers and sisters who are different from us only by geography and dialect.
Averett University is situated away from the river in the old money, grand-old-home part of town. Averett seems to be doing pretty well as evidenced by the new lobby atrium added to its theater and the new lighted turf football field being installed on the north campus. I asked Kendall Ratliffe, admissions counselor, why students come to Averett. The answer is 30 undergraduate and graduate programs, along with specialties in Nursing, Sports Training, Equestrian Studies and Aviation.
Hold on to your hats. There's still a little more Passport left. Thanks Hannah, for lending me your laptop.
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