G.E. Volunteer Work Week at Ohana Camp

Ohana Camp welcomed 23 GE Elfuns from 10 states on Sunday evening, June 14, for a week of service interspersed with fun. Jake Williams prepared a five star dinner that evening, followed by a briefing and walking tour of the camp led by Deb Williams.
Many of the Elfun volunteers had been to Ohana two years ago and were consequently amazed and thrilled with the progress achieved since their last visit. Notwithstanding past progress, Deb was up to the task of generating almost three pages of wide-ranging new tasks to present on her ubiquitous flip chart to the eager Elfuns
So after devouring strawberry shortcake and selecting Monday’s projects, the GE Elfuns called it a day and headed for a night’s rest in the crisp spring Vermont air. Before they knew it, the smell of coffee brought them out of their cabins to a Monday morning feast of pancakes and sausage –plus a whole lot more-- and then everyone was enthusiastically on the way to work.
Libby Webster was in charge of the fabled Area 51 tool shed, and from there within minutes one crew was going down the road to build a storage shed at the waterfront, another was on its way to glaze windows in the historic barn. And individuals were tackling tasks ranging from tree cutting to electrical wiring, carpentry and even quilting.
“This camp is a very special spot,” said Richard Hoffard of suburban Detroit, Michigan. Hoffard, who was a regional service manager for GE’s Medical Systems Business before retiring , is making his second service trip to Ohana. “It’s picturesque, and it’s peaceful. Working on these meaningful improvements is tremendously satisfying. Equally important, just being here gives us all a renewed sense of purpose and truly separates us from the turmoil of the everyday world. It is a nice refresher course on the meaning of the word Friendship. Spending a week here Is a big time battery charger. I love it!”
It won’t be all work and no play on the Elfuns’ first day because after tonight’s dinner the Elfuns will celebrate Lois Lovinger’s birthday. Lois came to Ohana from Fort Wayne, Indiana. A quilter and also photographer par excellence, she’s planning to snap a few photos of the group after dinner when Vermont Public Radio’s Will Lange entertains with his perspectives on life in New England -- with special emphasis on this neck of the woods.