Catholic Heart 2026: Sign Up Begins Now for Waterloo Iowa!

Catholic Heart Workcamp

Catholic HEART Workcamp is about service, connection and loving others. CHWC provides parish youth groups, teens and adult leaders service opportunities to restore homes and hearts, feed the hungry, lift the spirits of children, bring joy to the elderly and disabled and offer assistance while partnering with social agencies. Each Workcamp is equipped with a summer staff, director, manager, musician, nurse and priests to celebrate mass/confession. It is a youth friendly Christ centered Week of caring for others. Catholic HEART Workcamp faithfully and enthusiastically serves the Roman Catholic Church and its teachings and is an excellent opportunity to “love the least of these”.

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Waterloo, Iowa 

About Waterloo/Cedar Falls:

Waterloo and Cedar Falls are twin towns lying in the heart of the Cedar Valley in Iowa.  Running through the Cedar Valley is the Cedar River, which offers beautiful scenery and numerous recreational opportunities.  The metropolitan area is estimated to have 170,000 residents.  This area is rooted in history, hard work, resiliency, and kindness. Waterloo is locally known as the “Factory City.” John Deere agricultural machinery has been produced in the city for over a century. Cedar Falls is home to the University of Northern Iowa, one of three State Universities in Iowa.

The Cedar Valley has several service agencies with which we will collaborate, including Habitat for Humanity, Re-Store, St. Vincent DePaul, Cedar Valley Humane Society, Salvation Army, Veteran agencies, Black Hawk Homeless Shelter, NE Iowa Food Bank, and others. We will also have worksites from our five local parishes and three Catholic Elementary schools.

Cedar Valley Catholic Schools has graciously offered the use of their connected High School and Middle School Facilities for CHWC.

Sleeping rooms will be in large, air-conditioned classrooms, most of which are carpeted.

The cafeteria, snack area, and program area (large gym) are all air-conditioned.

A separate indoor gym (non-air-conditioned) is available for recreation, as well as outdoor recreation areas.

Columbus has a 24-hour beautiful Eucharistic Adoration chapel available for prayer, as well as outdoor prayer spaces.

Showers are on-site in 4 separate locker room facilities.

Adults will have male and female locker rooms, each with 4 private showers.

Youth will have male and female locker rooms with 9-12 showers available.

Other information

The dates include travel time to and from Waterloo in rented minivans driven by adult chaperones. We will stay overnight in a church on the way there to give us some good time as a youth group and to keep us on time for our arrival to camp on Sunday. Campers will bring cots, sleeping bags and/or air mattresses for us to use on our overnight stays as well as use during the week for camp.

All adult chaperones must go through driver training (including a driving record check) and be current on their Safe Environment Training (including a background check).

While at camp, there will be several other youth groups from around the country. As is the policy of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, all the minors from our group will serve on teams with the adults from our Archdiocese.

Registration will be accepted on a first come first served basis. To register you need to fill out the registration form and give a non-refundable $135.00 deposit to Good Shepherd Catholic Church. No one will be turned away because of inability to pay. Please talk to Corinna, Maggie or Michele if you have a hard time paying the deposit or camp fee. The $135 deposit is non-refundable.

A packing list will be emailed out to everyone about 2 months before camp.

Fundraisers

There will be fundraisers available at Good Shepherd, St. James and St. Agnes starting in January and ending in early May. There will be many opportunities to earn money toward your camp! More detailed information will be given after registration.

If you need more information contact Corinna Ramsey: 262-345-3897;ramseyc@mygoodshepherd.org