The Alabama Emmaus Community Board was recently informed by the Upper Room of an increase of Pilgrim fees paid to them. Every Community pays a fee per Pilgrim each time a Walk is held, and for many years it has been $13. This year that fee was raised to $25 per Pilgrim, effective January 2022. Obviously, that is virtually doubled, and with our current 25 Pilgrims per Walk, that comes to at least $625 and could be more.
At the same time, Camp Sumatanga is having to look at a long overdue increase in its rates. Food, for one thing, will be driving this. In the past, the Team Fee has been increased to avoid raising Pilgrim fees. Another time, Team housing was increased to avoid raising Pilgrim fees. However, there will soon be an increase in Pilgrims fees – the amount not yet determined.
Although the increase was to be effective January 2022, the Community was not informed until last week. Therefore, the Upper Room has granted a grace period for Walks #498, #499 and #500, since those applications were submitted, and invitations issued in 2021. Any increases will now be applied to ALL NEW Applications to Attend currently coming in and to Team housing increases, if any, beginning with Walk #501.
Deanna Shotts, Community Lay Director, has announced the following:
I. The current (now old) Application to Attend has been pulled from the Community website until revisions are made.
II. Until the new rates are determined, and a new application issued, a copy of the old application may be used by:
Check the community Website, the Grapevine and the Shoals newsletter, the Apostle for alerts that new Applications to Attend and/or new Team Registration forms have been released.