One of my favourite things about summer at Camp Mini-Yo-We is something that happens behind the scenes. It’s our volunteers.
Every summer, alongside hundreds of campers and an incredible team of young staff, adults arrive at Camp ready to serve. They take vacation days and they rearrange schedules. They leave behind their normal routines and become part of the team, and I absolutely love it. Partly because volunteers make an enormous contribution to Mini-Yo-We. But also, if I’m being completely truthful, because it means there are some other grown-ups around for me to hang out with!
There aren’t many large camps where volunteering is woven into the culture quite like it is at Mini-Yo-We. It has become a beautiful part of our story and I’m convinced that what happens here is about much more than volunteering.
More Than Helping Out
Of course, our volunteers do real work. Camp is a huge operation. Thousands of meals need to be prepared and served. Buildings need attention. Programs need support. Campers need care. Things need to be cleaned, organized, fixed, moved, washed, carried and occasionally found after someone puts them somewhere “safe.” Our volunteers make an extraordinary amount of that possible.
They also bring something incredibly valuable to a camp largely powered by young adults: adult presence.
They bring experience, perspective, encouragement and accountability. They support our year-round team during the busiest weeks of our year. They work alongside our summer staff and quietly become mentors, encouragers and friends. Their contribution is critical.
Then comes the fun part!
When you talk to our volunteers, they don’t only talk about what they gave to Camp. They talk about what Camp gave to them. It’s basically Adult Camp
I’ve started to think that volunteering at Mini-Yo-We might secretly be a camp for grown ups. You arrive and become part of a team. You eat meals together and you work together. You laugh together and you sit around tables and campfires together. You get outside. You experience the beauty of Muskoka. You study and pray. You have conversations about life and faith that somehow seem easier to have at Camp.
Somewhere along the way, strangers become friends. For adults whose normal lives can be incredibly busy and fragmented, there is something refreshing about stepping into a community where you have a shared purpose. There volunteers get to belong somewhere and serve where they are needed, valued and appreciated. I regularly meet volunteers who came because they wanted to help Mini-Yo-We and discovered that God had something for them here too.
A Different Kind of Camp Community
There are practical benefits to volunteering too. For many families, serving at Camp can help make sending children to Camp more affordable through our volunteer discount program. That’s wonderful but not the whole story. Volunteering isn’t simply a transaction: give us some time and receive a discount. It’s an invitation into the life of Mini-Yo-We. It’s an opportunity to experience the place your kids talk about all year and to understand why Camp matters so much to them.
Volunteers get to become part of the friendships, faith, fun and community that make this place special. And sometimes, long after their kids have finished coming to Camp, our volunteers keep coming back. That tells us something. Volunteering at Camp is special.
Our volunteer retention is incredibly high. Once people discover this community, many want to return year after year. Which creates an interesting challenge. Every summer, some volunteers naturally finish their season with us. Kids grow up. Family circumstances change. Life moves on. So each year, we need to find approximately 40 new adults who are willing to give volunteering at Mini-Yo-We a try. Maybe you’ve never considered yourself a “camp person.” That’s okay. We’re not looking for forty wilderness superheroes. We’re looking for people. People willing to serve. People who enjoy being part of a team. People who want to make a difference in the lives of young people, and people who wouldn’t mind spending some time on beautiful Mary Lake, making new friends, growing in their faith and discovering that cCmp might have something to offer them too. You might come because your kids are at camp. You might come because you want to give something back. You might come because a friend talked you into it. But you may discover something unexpected. Camp isn’t only a place where kids belong. There might just be a place here for you too.
Come discover volunteering at Mini-Yo-We.
Apply for next summer today!
Our volunteer team is already 65% full for Summer 2027! If you are thinking of joining us please apply today online!
If you are curious about what specific roles are available, the discounts available and more check out our Adult Volunteer webpage.
You can also direct questions to Chi Chi Ibe, our Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteers@miniyowe.com or 705-385-2629.