Teens lend a hand in Dent through Camp Joy service week
Teens from the cities spent a week in Dent doing fix-it work at Camp Joy, where volunteers get food, lodging and a 50% registration discount.
A volunteer group from the cities spent a week in Dent helping with fix-it projects and service work at Camp Joy, turning the Star Lake camp into a base for hands-on help across lakes country. The effort put young people from the metro in direct contact with a camp that has served Otter Tail County for generations.
Camp Joy’s roots in Dent go back to 1941, when the ministry made its defining move to Star Lake. Today the camp sits at 32521 380th St. and is led by executive director Tyler Tracy, who oversees a program that blends summer recreation with service and faith-based ministry.
The camp’s volunteer roles include kitchen work, leading activities and maintenance, and volunteers receive lodging and food at no cost. Camp Joy also offers a 50% registration discount for people who commit to volunteer for a full camp week, a setup that makes service part of the camp’s regular rhythm rather than a one-time add-on.
That connection extends to younger campers as well. Camp Joy’s summer materials include teen camp for ages 13 to 18, and a related profile of the Star Lake Bible Camp Association says the ministry serves about 400 school-aged children. Camp Joy says its mission is to help campers connect with faith and deepen their relationship with God.
History materials describe the early Star Lake site as extremely small, with the dining hall nearly spanning the property, a reminder of how long the camp has adapted to life in Dent while holding onto its original purpose. The week of volunteer work added another layer to that history: teens from outside the county came in to do practical labor, while the camp offered the setting, food and housing that made the work possible.
For Otter Tail County, the project tied together youth development, local service and a camp that has spent more than eight decades building its identity around both.
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