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Camp Biloxi to be Decommissioned
April 3, 2010-
The City of Biloxi, which has continually supported and promoted the operations of Camp Biloxi, has again acknowledged the camp’s continued efforts and expressed its gratitude for our commitment to helping those individuals in our community which had suffered from the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.
Camp Biloxi is located on the grounds of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Biloxi and the adjoining land west of the church which is owned by the First Korean Presbyterian Church of Biloxi.
While the City of Biloxi has been most gracious and tolerant of the temporary use of this land for a volunteer camp, they also have an obligation to the City and to the residents living in the area around the camp. At this time, in their concerted effort to “return the City of Biloxi back to some semblance of normal,” the City is asking Camp Biloxi to discontinue its operation and “close our doors”, returning the church grounds to their pre-Katrina condition.
In compliance with the city’s request, RAI will soon cease the hospitality and construction operations of Camp Biloxi and begin the process of restoring Good Shepherd’s grounds to their original state.
Camp Biloxi will continue to house and feed volunteers through 30 April 2010. The packing process will begin in April 2010 and will continue through the summer of 2010, however, we would like to have the land to the west of the church cleaned up by 30 May 2010.
For those volunteers that would like to help with the camp closure, please contact the volunteer coordinator (Rava) at 228-594-0008 x7020. We are working with several local facilities for places where volunteers could stay while working on the camp closure and cleanup after April. This also includes our Sister Camp, Camp Restore, in New Orleans. We also hope to have several other facilities closer to Biloxi which volunteers could work out of.
Camp Biloxi, twice-named the “Nonprofit Volunteer Organization of the Year” by the City of Biloxi, has housed over 20,300 volunteers. These volunteers have been responsible for completing major restoration work on the homes of over 2,460 Mississippi families affected by Hurricane Katrina and completing several thousand smaller restoration projects.
We are tentatively planning a decommissioning service and celebration for August 29th, 2010 (the fifth anniversary of Katrina). Look for more announcements, camp history and photos to come in the near future.
Do you have thoughts, photos or videos from your experience at Camp Biloxi you’d like to share? Post them on the Camp Biloxi! Facebook page here!
Well done, good and faithful servant, Camp Biloxi!
Please note: Volunteer activities at Camp Restore, in partnership with Prince of Peace Lutheran Church and School in New Orleans, continue and are not expected to be adversely impacted by Camp Biloxi’s decommissioning.