In 1979, thirty six youth and adults from three Houston churches held the first U.M. ARMY work camp in Athens, TX. Numbers of participants are now over 4,000, with over 1500 work sites to be completed this summer. The Department of Human Services provides most referrals of work needed, and in many areas offers extensive support. Although the Department of Human Services provides most work referrals, we often receive work referrals from United Way, Senior Citizens, Visiting Nurses, Meals on Wheels and various community service organizations.

In 2002 we received the Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Department of Human Services. In 1995, U.M. ARMY was one of fifteen recipients of Exemplary State and Local Awards from the National Center for Public Productivity at the Newark Campus of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. U.M. ARMY has earned statewide recognition with such awards as the Texas Long Term Care Volunteer Award (1991), two Texas Governor’s Certificates of Volunteer Service (1989 and 1987). and the Texas Department of Human Services Volunteer Service Award (1987). Numerous other regional and city awards have been given to U.M. ARMY as well.

In 2002 we also formed a new Board of Directors to operate camps in the Southwest Texas area.  Our SWTX chapter is now in its sixth year of operations!

In 2004, the Northeast chapter was formed and currently is holding camps in New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.  This chapter manages the same geographic region as the UMC Northeast Jurisdiction in planning camps and looking for growth opportunities year after year.

In 2008, U.M. ARMY will hold its second growth camp in the UMC Northwest Texas Conference with expectations of starting a new chapter there in the very near future!