After a record-setting summer for volunteer numbers at Camp Mini-Yo-We, we are pleased to see another strong start this fall. Our Summer 2025 roster is 75% full—with over eight months to go before campers arrive. This tremendous support and enthusiasm for our ministry is so encouraging!
“ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. Coming back with more new volunteer friends in 2025!”
“A+ experience from the welcome at the gate…to the positive [head cook] working with us daily. Everything is executed with precision, fun, and purpose. Thanks for a wonderful week! It is an honour to take a peek at what God is doing…!”
Focused on Feedback
We love our volunteers and are truly grateful when they return year after year. At the end of every week in the summer, we encourage everyone to complete a survey to share about their time at Camp. We actively seek feedback because we want to keep improving the volunteer experience. Thanks to their comments, we now offer better accommodations, washrooms, off-hours activities, and more! By checking the same metrics every year, we find trends in areas such as the application process, communications and the overall experience. This past summer, we kept high ratings, including an average of 6.7/7 for the value of volunteering at Camp Mini-Yo-We.
“We felt so well supported every step of the way on the volunteer journey: excellent pre-camp communication and every question or concern we raised during the week was answered almost immediately. What an amazing staff team!”
“It was a great pleasure working with Mike [and the Facility crew]. Please pass our regards for the great atmosphere they created; which made us feel relaxed and a part of the team. Having unrushed devotions and prayers as a team was also great. Looking forward to serving again next year.”
All-Star Team Stats
Volunteers are essential at Mini-Yo-We! We simply could not run Camp without their help each summer. Who makes up this dedicated group? It’s wide-ranging! This year’s stats showed us that:
- The median age for volunteers was 45—the youngest was 18 and the oldest was 82!
- Our teams were made up of two-thirds women and one-third men
- Just over one-quarter were new to volunteering at Camp Mini-Yo-We
- 16 volunteers served for two or more weeks
- The volunteer who travelled the furthest came from São Paulo, Brazil
- Over a third are former Mini-Yo-We campers and summer staff
- 193 volunteer discounts were applied to camper fees
- Over a quarter had at least one kid on staff or another close connection
- About 70% served with at least one family member or friend
“The volunteer experience was great and really well organized. It’s clear that volunteers are highly valued in the way they are treated and cared for. It’s a lot of work but it really feels like you are part of a team and that everyone is working together.”
“It was a great week!…The staff and volunteers were all wonderful to work with and I really appreciated the effort to offer some afternoon activities…Thanks so much!”
Serving on Sundays
Most adult volunteers serve on our Food Services, Facility or Medical teams during the week. We also had over 60 individual volunteers join our Sunday Crew to help on opening days. We were thankful for a 25% increase on this team in 2024! This group, which helps create a welcoming environment as campers and their families arrive, has a slightly different composition. Two-thirds are alumni and there’s a more even gender split. The majority of our Sunday Crew members do not have campers registered; instead, their kids tend to be on summer staff. Many were also weekly volunteers who arrived early or stayed through the weekend to lend a helping hand.
“It is always such a pleasure to see the faces and the genuine appreciation that the campers exude each and every day…It was an amazing experience to give back to MYW all that has been given to our family.”
“A great opportunity to serve and see firsthand how God is working in your ministry. I worked with a wonderful group in the kitchen…The camp experience has so much to offer and we enjoyed the mountain bikes, carts, rock climbing and pickleball. We had a number of walks on your beautiful trails. Thank you for making the volunteers welcomed, valued and informed!”
Sign Up Today!
Here’s one of our favourite findings from this past summer’s surveys: the likelihood of a volunteer recommending serving at Mini-Yo-We to a friend was 9.1/10. If you’re already signed up for next summer, who are you inviting? If you’d like to join us as a first-time volunteer, we want you on the team! In particular, we’re looking for help during staff training (which runs from June 22 to July 5) and Summer’s End (August 24 to 27). We also have a few openings remaining for cooks throughout the summer.
Contact Becca Sjonger at volunteers@miniyowe.com or 705-385-2629 to check availability or get more details. Visit the Adult Volunteers page on our website to apply today!