The oldest building in camp, in fact the only building that
was on the site prior to Alkulana’s move to Bath County
in 1917 is an old mill. For many years, this building was the
only permanent structure in camp, and served (then, as it does
now) as a kitchen and dining hall. The bottom floor contains
the kitchen, walk-in freezer, pantry, dish-washing porch, and
craft-house. The top floor is the dining area.
Within the 860 square feet of the dining hall, we typically
feed 75 people at a time. Eating meals ‘family style’
is a very important part of Alkulana, and for many of our kids,
is something that they do not experience at home. For some of
our kids, the meals they receive at Alkulana are the healthiest
meals they will eat all year. So how do you feed 75 people in
such a small area? Simple: you pack ‘em in.
A few years ago, the Camp Support Team sought
ways to alleviate this over-crowding by expanding the dining hall.
Rather than simply add space, the Team saw this as an opportunity
to create a multi-purpose space that could be used not just during
the summer program, but by a variety of groups year-round.
Starting in 2005, $120,000 was raised through a variety of
means to make this vision a reality. A variety of churches,
camp alumni, organizations, and friends of Alkulana were generous
with their support. The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation provided
a challenge grant of $25,000. In response to their generosity,
we raised $40,000 in just two months to exceed their challenge!
This fall, construction began on the expansion. Our goal remains
to have everything completed in time for the first campers to
arrive in June. God is good, indeed. So are God’s people,
and we Alkulana thank each of you for your monetary support,
your volunteer support, and your continued prayers.
The following pictures show where the project
is as of February 2007.
