Emma Krall

Each year, St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville, Virginia brings its entire freshman class to Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) for YouthFest, an alternative spring break service trip. Emma Krall took that trip in 2014. That first experience led to her committing as a one-year volunteer with CAP.

That first trip she spent a week with 10 classmates on a jobsite where they built an addition and a deck and installed a shower.

“That was my first experience of any kind of construction, but the experience was so rewarding because of the amazing team leaders we had from CAP,” Krall said. “For our senior mission trip at my church, I begged them to come to CAP because of the time I’d had as a freshman.” Their team came to Eastern Kentucky and spent a week renovating a bathroom and a kitchen for a family in need.

On that trip, Krall learned about additional service opportunities with other CAP programs, and she set her heart on being a counselor at Camp Shawnee. She spent five weeks

in the summer of 2018 investing in the lives of campers and building relationships with CAP staff and volunteers.

“I knew right away that I would have an amazing experience,” she said. “I was originally supposed to stay for three weeks, but as soon as I got to camp, I begged my parents to let me stay longer because I fell in love with the experience. It sounds dramatic, but my time at Camp Shawnee literally changed my life. I learned so much about myself, my faith, and what I wanted to do with my life. Spending the summer on the mountain was the best summer of my life, and I am so grateful I had the chance to experience the pure love and service that Camp Shawnee embodies.”

During her first summer, she met another long-term volunteer who shared stories about her experience, Krall knew right away that she wanted to spend a year at CAP after she graduated college.

“I am so happy that I am here,” she exclaimed. “I’m so grateful for my first service trip in 2014 for showing me what an amazing organization CAP is.”