Home > Youth > Highland Service Project > HSP FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How will we spend our time and what are the days like?
A: We will spend most of Sunday in team-building and orientation sessions. Monday through Friday will generally follow the daily schedule that you will find later in this manual. We will have an early breakfast and devotional period then all the work teams will depart camp for their assigned work site. You will spend the day working on home repairs at your work site, stopping at some point to eat the lunch you brought (on site). You will return to camp in the late afternoon for a shower and free time. After dinner we will have an evening program (usually including singing and some other fun activities). After a little free time to chill out, all will retire to their cabin for the night.

Q: Where do we stay?
A: We will stay at a group camp at William B. Umstead State Park on the west side of Raleigh. There is a large meeting hall with a full kitchen where we will eat breakfast and supper each day and have our programs at night. There are four cabin units a short distance from the meeting hall; two will be for females and two for males. The cabins are very rustic and have no electricity but they have serviceable, though not luxurious, beds with foam mattresses. There are toilet and sink facilities at each cabin unit and a central bathhouse near the meeting hall. These facilities are just a few years old and are very up to date.

Q: Who do we work with?
A: Everyone is assigned to a work team for the week. A work team typically consists of 4 youth and 2 adults. Each work team is a mix of church groups, ages, genders and youth with and without previous HSP experience.

Q: Will our group be split up or will we be together?
A: Each work team will be made up of youth from different church groups. This allows you to meet new people and make new friends. We will all be together for meals, worship, programs and game times. Each church group will have a private time of reflection as part of each evening program. There are no church group restrictions on who shares a cabin.

Q: Who do we work for?
A: The homeowners we work for are elderly people who could be anywhere in Wake County. Each has called Resources for Seniors or another agency in search of help for a problem with their home. They are often either unable to afford or unable to manage having the work done through conventional means.

Q: Do I have to know how to do home repair work to be able to help?
A: No, there will be two work team leaders on your work team who will instruct and guide you to accomplish the work at your site. The work team leaders will have information about the work to be done at the work site before the project starts.

Q: What kind of help will our work team have?
A: Each work site will be visited by a project advisor before HSP week. The project advisor will learn what work is to be done and the method of repair that we will use. This will be put into a formal write up and this write up will be provided to the work team leaders before arriving at HSP. Additionally, a site supervisor is assigned to each work site. Your site supervisor will be your support person for that job.

Q: Are there rules we have to follow?
A: Of course there are! We have guidelines and a behavior covenant; you will find them on this site. We also support the guidelines set by your group's leadership.

Q: Do I have to do work that I am afraid to do?
A: Absolutely not. At no time should you do anything about which you are afraid or for which you do not feel you have received adequate direction or training. Youth or adult participants with particular safety issues (e.g., a fear of heights) should provide this information to us at application time.

Q: Do we do real work?
A: Yes, we do. We frequently saw into rotted floors, build wheelchair ramps, replace fascia and soffits and install vinyl flooring over a repaired floor.

Q: Are the meals provided for us?
A: Yes. Eat before you arrive on Sunday. We will provide every meal thereafter through breakfast on Saturday morning.

Q: Can you accommodate my vegetarian youth?
A: Yes. Please make us aware of any special dietary considerations at application time.

Q: Who can participate?
A: Youth participants must be rising-9th graders through graduated seniors.  Adult participants must be at least 21 years old and at least 25 years old to drive a vehicle with youth participants.

Q: How much does it cost to participate?
A: See the Highland Service Project homepage.

Q: What is the application process?
A: See the Highland Service Project Apply/deadlines page.

Q: What is the cancellation policy?
A: See the Highland Service Project Apply/deadlines page.