| | | | | | Summer Camp Update: We just wrapped up our 2023 summer camp season and wanted to give an update! We had five weeks of summer camp for people with physical and intellectual disabilities ages 8-80. Our youngest camp kid was 5 months, youngest camper was 8 and oldest volunteer was 90! We had a record number of new campers which made for an exciting summer, we enjoyed getting to know everyone. Over the course of those 5 weeks we hosted over 700 people on our campus. Each week our campers and volunteers got to enjoy swimming, competitive recreation, themed meals, campfires, s’mores, chapel, small groups, carnival, boating, and more. Everyone shared their stories as the 2023 theme was “My Story.” We took our theme out of Ephesians 2:10, “God loves you, and He made you like He wanted you. He wants you to tell your story to help each other.” We talked all week about our own stories and the story of Jesus. Every Friday morning, around the fire pit each camper and volunteer had the opportunity to share their own story to the group - this was a special time for all. | | | |
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| | Everyone who stepped onto the campus was shown value and experienced genuine love and community. It was a outstanding summer filled with so much laugher, growth and friendship. Thank you to all of our volunteers who made this summer possible - counselors, nurses, interns, kitchen crew, support crew, pit crew, and day volunteers! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking time out of your busy schedules to give to our campers!
Our 2023 interns knocked it out of the park! Their good attitudes and willingness to learn and grow made for an awesome team. They worked hard for eight weeks learning about disability and camp culture, leading volunteers younger and older than them, being great role models, assisting campers with their physical and emotional needs, being flexible and always being willing to be stretched. We could not be more proud of them and look forward to their continued involvement in camp.
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| | Along with summer camp we launched another summer program, Sib’s Summer Getaway. This took place the week after our final session of summer camp and was for siblings of kids with disabilities ages 8+. Our interns stayed for an additional week as we hosted ~50 people for our first ever Sibs program! Below are words from Nurse Lora, a sib to Daniel Piantine.
"Last week I volunteered as camp nurse at the first ever week of Sibs Weekend Getaway. A “Sib” is a sibling of a person with a disability. Because I am a sibling, I was also privileged to be a part of the Sib Circle every day where campers were able to connect with each other over the unique feelings and experiences they have as siblings to someone with a disability. It was emotional to hear the kids and the other adult Sibs who had volunteered (including my brother and two of my own kids) as they shared emotions that often echoed my own - intense loyalty, quiet guilt, fierce love, at times a feeling of invisibility, a reluctance to rock the boat (or for others, a compulsion to rock the boat!) This week also reinforced to me once again that in my family growing up, we experienced a great strength and resilience that drew us closer together when the world became a difficult place. Ravi Zacharias said, “Wonder knows that while you cannot look at the light, you cannot look at anything else without it. It is not exhausted by childhood, but finds its key there." I'm thankful for my childhood and for the light it sheds on the rest of my life. I’m also thankful that my kids have been able to experience a similar goodness in their own lives. Disability is a difficult road, but there are some wonderful stops along the way, and the people we find traveling with us are the best we could ever hope to know… ...I’m proud and excited that Camp Daniel has added this valuable opportunity to its community, as well..” - Lora Stonelake
Overall it was a great summer! Thank you for your prayers, support and any efforts that were given to share our needs leading up to up to the first week of camp! Next our staff have two weeks of rest and then we look forward to busy fall filled with fun programming and guests groups! We will be in touch with details about upcoming programs and events - so keep an eye out for an email in the next few weeks! | |
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