CLEVELAND, Tenn. — About 20 youths and adults drove 200 miles to help rip apart and rebuild two houses here.
The group, from Macon, Ga.’s Northway Church, came to Cleveland and renovated two houses — one on Church Street, the other on Victory Street — to make them livable, said Joanne Maskew, executive director of Cleveland/Bradley Keep America Beautiful.
“Their group, led by Scott Sanders, was assigned to KAB through the Student Life Program, staying at Lee University,” Ms. Maskew said. “This is the fifth year this program has worked with KAB. Another group will be here July 6 for a three-day cleanup project.”
The Macon group is affiliated with Student Life Camps, a national program that links church youth groups to mission projects across the nation. Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Ga., is a program host.
Student Life and similar groups book rooms at Lee each year, said Jerome Hammond, assistant vice president for university relations.
In all, Lee has about 10,000 young summer campers focused on a wide range of activities, from athletics to academics and community service, he said. Some are led by Lee faculty and others by organizations such as Student Life.
It’s a good situation for campers and the school, Dr. Hammond said. Campers have a picturesque and friendly setting with all the amenities at a low price, he said, while the university earns money during the slow summer months.
“What you have on a university campus is a lot of expensive assets — dorms, classrooms — that aren’t used very much. But you still have to pay the light bill, the water bill. So about 25 years ago, these kinds of groups began going to college campuses because it’s a win-win,” he said.
But, more importantly, the youngsters leave Cleveland with positive memories of Lee, he said.
“I would say they are extremely well-run organizations, which is why they are thriving,” Dr. Hammond said. “It’s kind of the next evolution of summer camp. And a lot of campuses compete for them.”
The recruiting value for future students is even more valuable, he said.
“No kid wants to go home and say, ‘I am going to Lee,’ and have their friends ask, ‘Where’s that?'”
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