Betty Strong and her granddaughter Isabell Woodroof, working and giving back as a family makes them so happy.
Volunteers cut, split and stacked the wood shed so the camp is stocked with firewood for winter.
Volunteers cleaned the commercial kitchen and organized to prepare for future groups.
Volunteers milled the large trees into usable lumber.
SWAN LAKE - On Saturday, Oct. 30 over 60 volunteers helped prepare Camp Ponderosa Veterans and Retreat Center for winter. They brought shovels, axes, weedwackers, wheelbarrows, tractors, chainsaws and two portable sawmills. TJ Wendt and Steve Perrone worked under camp managers Allen & Linda Erickson's direction to get the much-needed projects done before winter comes.
Camp Ponderosa is located across Highway 83 from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation District office at mile marker 59. The West Montana Veterans Stand Down & Food Pantry, founded by the Ericksons, owns the buildings. They lease the 79-acres of school trust land from the state. The mission for Camp Ponderosa is to offer mental and physical therapies to veterans to ensure they have the care they need and the benefits they earned when they return home from service.
Volunteers spent the day putting the logs through the mills, cutting them into usable lumber. They also took the unusable portions and split and stacked it into firewood and filled the woodshed.
They cleaned the walk paths and weedwacked the main area. They had people taking nails out of fencing so that wood could be used for other projects in the future. They were able to tear down an old chicken coop and clean up that area of ground.
Inside they had many projects. Volunteers washed all the cooking and serving equipment and stacked it so it is ready for large groups. They cleaned all the stainless-steel appliances in the commercial kitchen and restacked the dry storage room and cleaned it.
Lunch was provided, making time to visit and have fun helping others while serving the veterans at camp.
"From what I saw and heard this group was having a wonderful time and really enjoyed this opportunity," said Communications Director Cinnamon Davis/Hall in a press release. "This event couldn't have happened without many hands and great supporters of our community. Thank you to everyone who volunteered and offered their services to make this day a success."
Davis/Hall said Boy Scout Troop 1901 will be using the camp the weekend of Nov. 13 where they will be camping and continuing service projects. For more information about Camp Ponderosa or other service opportunities call Allen Erickson at 406-756-7304.
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