VENANGO CO., Pa. (EYT) — Catholic Heart Work Camp volunteers will be returning to the Venango County area for the sixth year this summer, and organizers are seeking more applications from homeowners who need assistance with projects on their properties.

exploreVenango spoke with Theresa Zlotnicki, one of the local camp directors, along with Sean Graham and Nick Moran.

“The purpose of the program is for these students who come with youth groups from across the country to travel and see a part of the country they haven’t seen while putting their faith into action,” Zlotnicki said.

Volunteers and group leaders from across the country will work on dozens of home repair projects while they are in Venango County. They can do interior cleaning, painting, drywall repair, minor home improvements, yard work, removal of bushes, and even exterior painting on single story homes.

Being a youth-based volunteer program, there are also projects they cannot do, including removal of flooring or ceilings, removal of asbestos, scraping or painting over lead paint, removal of black mold, and removal trees larger than saplings. There are also height limits for exterior work.

Applicants who would like to have their homes considered for the program must be Venango County residents, and no rental properties or commercial properties are eligible.

Paper applications are available at several locations, including the Oil City and Franklin YMCAs, the Oil City and Franklin libraries, St. Elizabeth Center in Oil City, Hope 21 Ministry in the National Transit Building in Oil City, and the St. John Episcopal Church food pantry in Franklin.

Applications can also be filled out online here.

Paper applications must be mailed to Venango Catholic High School, 1505 W. First St., Oil City, 16301.

The applications should be received by April 30.

The camp is based at Venango Catholic High School. Local volunteers — both youth and adult — help get the school ready, creating an area where the visiting camp volunteers will sleep for the duration of their time in Venango County. Local volunteers also prepare meals for the visiting camp volunteers.

“It’s a huge community effort. We’re still looking for adult volunteers to help, as well,” Zlotnicki explained.

Volunteers work on the assessment teams that look over the properties of the applicants for the program.

“The adult assessors go out ahead of time to assess the homes of the people that apply. They decide what the camp volunteers can and cannot do, and what materials they will need.”

“We don’t do an income check or anything of that kind. We don’t scrutinize people that way.”

Applicants will receive a phone call in late May or early June to let them know if their application has been approved and reminder phone calls will be made the first week in July.

The camp will run from July 23 to 26.

“Everyone gains from the program. People get work done on their homes, and the kids learn team building skills and grow in their faith,” Zlotnicki stated.

More information is available at the Catholic Heart Work Camp Oil City Facebook page or at www.heartworkcamp.com.