Help with restoration, daily life in a 153 year old church in Pennsylvania, USA

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    We have a church we have turned into a home, workshop and studio.

    My husband is Scottish & I'm American. We've traveled a lot and love meeting people.

    This is a huge project and extra hands are always appreciated!

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
    Help with Computers/ Internet
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    We have a really positive attitude, love talking and exchanging ideas, love sharing knowledge and learning from others too.

    Remodeling a bell tower, adding & remodeling bathrooms, firewood gathering & lots of projects going, we like people who have skills & are happy to teach those that don't.

    We try to always do a local tour of the area with our Workaway friends. Our area has a very diverse cultural heritage area, with people from all over the world that came here over150 years ago to work in the coal mines and create new lives.

    We love to listen to music that our helpers like, and share our music with them. If there are local music events, we try to go to them. :)

  • Help

    Help

    We are currently booking helpers for spring & summer 2023.

    Help needed with:
    1. Lots of cutting & splitting firewood for our biomass stove. Creating stacks of firewood.
    2. Garden help as we transform the east side lawn into a garden of food & flowers.
    3. Cleaning including sweeping, vacuuming, windows cleaning, dusting, bathroom cleaning, etc.
    4. Painting walls, trim work on building.
    5. Using leaf blower keeping parking area and drive tidy.
    6. Keeping the undergrowth in the woods around clear.
    7. Building picnic tables and fire rings.
    8. Creating outdoor bathroom & kitchen.
    9. Creating outdoor bedrooms.
    10. Working both independently and as a fun team.
    11. Gathering and building stone walls, planters and benches.
    12. We want you to have fun while you’re here and believe in honest communications with our helpers. If there are chores & tasks you love to do more than other, please tell us!

    The church building is huge and we are in a very quiet village. It’s a very unique place to stay. We do have two bicycles you’ll be able to use. We are a totally nonsmoking place.

    We ask that you volunteer 5 hours for 5 days a week in exchange for food, lodging and fun things near us. We also have bicycles and helmets available for you to use.

    Food is provided free. Cooking & cleaning help is appreciated!
    Washing machine on premises and we use indoor & outdoor clothes lines.

    Our typical day is 9 am to noon, then an hour break for lunch. Then 1 to 3 pm. After that, your time is your own.

    Of course we flex this schedule with trips to the stores, around the area and you're always welcome to go with us!

    Helping days are usually Monday through Friday, but that's flexible too, depending on what we have happening in our art & craft studio.

    Beautifully situated in the mountains with lots of hiking trails right outside our doors, we're at the top of a quiet little village. There is a town just a mile away with shops, restaurants, cafes, library & more. We are 15 minutes away from a wonderful amusement park, Knoebels, an hour from Hersheypark & lots of other fun things to see.

    We are about an hour north of Harrisburg and pickup/drop off our Workaway friends at the train/bus station or airport there, free of charge.

  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    German: Fluent
    English: Fluent

    This host offers a language exchange
    Interested in helping you with your English and learning your language too.

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    Summer experience is going to be amazing! We’re creating an entire outdoor living space that will include showers, bathrooms, kitchen area, pizza & bread oven, open for cooking ring & more!

    You must be comfortable living outdoors in tents & unique buildings we’re creating!

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    We are in the beautiful coal mining region of Pennsylvania. Lots of things to see and do in the area.

    State parks, swimming, fishing, hiking, bicycle riding and true tranquility here at the former church.

    We are happy to pick up & drop off Workaway friends in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. There is a bus & train station, as well as an airport there. Our church is an hour and fifteen minutes north of Harrisburg.

    Lots of musical instruments here, books, art opportunity with paintings, various crafts and projects.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    We have a large parking lot with privacy, shade and the possibility of water & electricity.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Host ref number: 384431839869

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Accuracy of profile: (5.0)

Cultural exchange: (4.9)

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