Giving Thanks and Giving Back
A November of Hands-On Service and Shared Purpose
November is a month when the calendar is often very full, from the final weeks of the semester to holiday travel. Every moment counts. For many people, November is also a month for gratitude and gathering with family and friends, and for these Pi Kappa Phi brothers, it became a time for giving back.
While service is not something we save for one season, there is something special about leaning into hands-on service during a month focused on giving thanks, turning gratitude into action.
Ability Camps are weekend service projects through The Ability Experience, where Pi Kappa Phi brothers partner with camps that serve people with disabilities. Brothers spend the weekend building, repairing, organizing and improving spaces so campers and staff have safer, more accessible and more welcoming environments.
Here is what our November Ability Camps looked like in Georgia, Southern California and Iowa.
Ability Camp: Georgia
Camp Twin Lakes: Rutledge, Georgia
November 7-9
At Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge, 43 brothers from the Delta Beta (North Georgia), Eta Delta (Kennesaw State), Gamma Psi (Augusta), Iota (Georgia Tech) and Gamma Nu (LaGrange) Chapters spent the weekend working hard outdoors, letting teamwork fuel their impact. Brothers built one-third of the camp’s new horse pasture, laying the groundwork for a space that will keep growing into something special for future campers.
Another project brought the weekend full circle. Brothers cleared brush around a fence built back in the early 2000s by a Build America team, a reminder that The Ability Experience has a history at this camp and camps nationwide, and that today’s brothers are often building on the impact earlier teams helped create.
The projects required real labor, but the impact was practical and immediate. It was the kind of weekend that helps camp staff head into the next season with a little more breathing room and fewer backlogged tasks, allowing them to stay focused on what matters most: creating a camp experience where everyone can participate fully.
As the month went on, that same hands-on commitment showed up again, this time in a different corner of the country, with brothers tackling another extensive list of projects in Southern California.
Ability Camp: Southern California
Golden Heart Ranch: Agoura Hills, California
November 7-9
In Agoura Hills, 30 brothers from the Delta Rho (University Park), Theta Omicron (Nevada-Reno), Theta Sigma (Cal State-Long Beach), Iota Iota (Cal Poly-Pomona), Kappa Mu (California-Merced) and Kappa Pi (Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo) Chapters arrived at Golden Heart Ranch ready to take on a weekend-long refresh across the property. They stained decks, tables and benches, bringing new life to daily gathering spaces. They weeded and planted around the ranch, and they tackled landscaping projects like clearing Halloween decorations and beautifying the entrance by pulling weeds and laying gravel.
Brothers also handled behind-the-scenes work that keeps the ranch running smoothly. They organized the seed shack, installed a new tarp roof and created drainage solutions by digging a ditch for rain runoff. They dug a trench to support a new water system, repainted the lifeguard tower and replaced light bulbs across the property. They emptied and reorganized storage spaces, built new chairs and created storage racks to provide a better home for supplies and equipment.
The work didn’t end there. In addition to building, cleaning and organizing, brothers cared for animals, applying poultry dust to the chickens and cleaning and refreshing the chicken coop to help ensure the ranch is not only functional, but healthy and well-maintained.
This weekend included plenty of tasks, but these brothers were eager to help, putting service before self as they took ownership over projects so that future campers and visitors at Golden Heart Ranch can experience joy, friendship and belonging in a place cared for with intention.
Ability Camp: Iowa
Camp High Hopes: Sioux City, Iowa
November 14-16
A group of 35 Pi Kappa Phi brothers, including 32 undergraduates, three associate members and one alumnus, attended Ability Camp Iowa at Camp High Hopes in Sioux City. Brothers from the Alpha Omicron (Iowa State), Alpha Phi (Illinois Tech) and Delta Delta (Truman State) Chapters, along with the Creighton Associate Chapter, traveled between three and eight hours to support the mission of The Ability Experience.
Once the work began, the changes were impossible to miss. Brothers relocated a Gaga Ball Pit to a more accessible location so more campers can fully join in the game. Nearby, they turned an open area into the beginnings of a human foosball court, creating another space for campers to move, play and be part of the action. Indoors, they installed interior wall siding in a fishing shack and tackled a cluttered basement by clearing it out and reorganizing it into a space staff can actually use. Out along the lakeshore, brothers removed dead trees and bramble, making the area safer and more enjoyable for everyone who spends time there. It was more than a weekend of tasks; it was brotherhood put to work, improving a place that exists so people of all abilities can truly belong.
Camp Director Derek Bergman made it clear throughout the weekend that this kind of large-scale volunteer support can be transformational for a camp’s day-to-day operations. Watching projects move forward at a pace that is hard for staff to achieve during a typical workweek, Bergman said, “It is amazing what you can get done when you have this many guys helping out.”
On Saturday night, there was an opportunity for brothers to slow down and listen to parents talk about their children and their camp experiences, giving brothers a chance to hear what camp means to these families and why accessibility and thoughtfully created spaces matter so much.
By the end of the weekend, the work was done, but the relationships built there were just getting started. Bergman shared his enthusiasm about welcoming Pi Kappa Phi brothers back next fall and even proposed adding a second Ability Camp in the spring, a sign of just how valuable the weekend of service was for the camp and the people it serves.
Across Georgia, Southern California and Iowa, the details looked different, but the purpose was the same. Brothers spent a month known for gratitude taking action, strengthening partnerships and bringing The Ability Experience’s mission to life in a way that will be seen, felt and experienced for years to come.
