We have an original building at The Wilds that has been used for nearly every camp we’ve ever held on the campsite. In fact, every camper and staff member—over 700,000 to date—have been touched by the use of this building. We could not run camp without it. If you haven’t guessed by now, we are referring to the Dining Hall! It’s endured years of sun, rain, dust (think screened windows and a gravel parking lot!), and even a small fire. It’s hard to believe that the wall coverings, flooring, and lighting are all original—that is, until you take a closer look.
Our Dining Hall has served us faithfully for over 55 years.
The time is past due to make some changes that will enable us to continue serving our campers for several more decades as the Lord allows. Updating such a historic building is daunting. Since we cannot run camp without this vital building, we plan to approach this monumental project in two courses.
Main Course: Dining Hall Upgrade and Kitchen Expansion
Facelift: This includes new wall coverings, lighting, counters and cabinets, and entry way. As you might guess, all of these improvements will need to comply with current building codes that have changed significantly in the past 5 decades!
Expanded Space for Kitchen Staff: If you have ever played the game Tetris™, you have a pretty good picture of what our kitchen staff has to do to fit all the cabinets of food into walk-in coolers. They also need more space for warmers, food preparation, and drying dishes.
Improved Kitchen Utilities: Our kitchen utilities are old. The drains need to be reworked and more modern kitchen equipment demands more power. Some of this has been done over the years, but we need some major upgrades.
Dessert: Additional Dining Space for Summer Campers
We would love to be able to add some extra space to our dining area. If you have eaten in the Dining
Hall during our summer camping season, you know that it can feel a bit claustrophobic at times. As God directs and provides, we would like to be able to expand our current Dining Hall or potentially build an additional dining area to alleviate some of the crowding.
This historic renovation will require a historic amount of funding. We estimate we will need $2 million for the “Main Course.” If God provides more, we can put some of our capacity expansion plans into place. We want to follow God’s plan, trusting Him to supply in His time. Would you consider partnering with us to breathe new life into this well-used and much-loved hub of all our camp programs? God, through His people, has supplied our needs for many projects in the past, and we are confident He will do so again.
Andrew Stoner
NC Director of Operations
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Donate by Mail
Mail a check to our donations department:
The Wilds Christian Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 509
Taylors, SC 29687-0009
Donate by Phone
Call our donations department at (864) 331-3267.
Tax Information
The Wilds is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions to The Wilds are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Questions?
Call our donations department at (864) 331-3267 or contact us online for more information.