Drippin’ Life
Memories of summer camp experiences, whether last year or five decades ago, are rarely forgotten. Besides the usual cabin hijinks, the aroma of homemade biscuits wafting from the dining hall or the team competitions, there also were the lifelong friends, 14-day teen romances, the letters afterwards, looking forward to the CIT (Counselor-in-Training) summer or, as an adult, taking the kids to their first camp session.
I met my brother-in-lawto-be when he was between camp sessions as a counselor. I thought he was nice-looking and obviously loved my sister, but his laundry-filled duffle bag wasn’t as impressive. He had attended the camp since he was a little kid and had continued on as a counselor during four-years at Texas A&M. Several years after he married my sister, when the camp’s owner retired, he offered to sell the camp to them…and they bought it.
But here’s the cool thing: this week – the last session of camp – all of the kids at camp come from families living below the poverty line, kids who have never been to camp, kids who struggle every day, who have little and are at risk. During this session, they’re simply kids – not foster kids, not low-achievers, not homeless, not shuttling between divorced parents. They’re just kids, learning watersports, horsemanship, playing ball, making crafts, competing teams, learning to square dance and going to Sunday worship. They come recommended by school counselors, clergy, physicians and they come at no charge.
Through the summer, there also are special camps, attended by kids from across Texas, other states and some campers coming from other countries. All are operated by individuals with a singular focus – helping kids, but not just any kids. Some camps are free of charge. Others cost only a small fee.
Camp Brave Heart, for example, is a grief camp for kids and teens who are grieving the loss of a loved one – a parent, grandparent or siblings. The camp offers a week of fun, self-exploration, counseling and sharing with other kids who have been through the same experiences.
Located deep in beautiful Hill Country, Camp David is sponsored by the Texas Survivor Society for burn survivors (ages 7-16) and is unique because siblings, impacted by their brother’s or sister’s burns, are invited, too. Campers who may cover their burn lesions and scars at home and school have the freedom to wear swimsuits and shorts at Camp David as they are treated to a carefree week of crafts, water-related sports, fishing and horseback as well as soft skills – interacting with others, gaining selfconfidence and realizing anything is possible. The camp also brings closure to some of the counselors who are fire fighters who may have rescued kids from fires. Many say they volunteer at this or other camps throughout the country, designed especially for burn victims, to make a difference.
Camp Periwinkle, a camp for cancer patients, survivors and siblings, offers kids a week without doctors’ appointments, treatment, therapy, etc., and replaces it with a week of fun. Camp Periwinkle, first offered through Texas Children’s Hospital in the early 1980s is now supported by the Periwinkle Foundation in Houston. Kids are taken care of by a trained staff of medical personnel who also are counselors.
For one whole week, campers forget their illness and bond with other kids who’ve experienced similar health challenges. There also are camps for teens with cancer, for youth who have survived cancer, families of cancer patients and day camps at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. Each camp is designed for fun as well as for emotional healing and learning how to live a full life with chronic diseases, such as renal cancers, heart problems or HIV-related illnesses.
To all the sponsors, foundations, volunteers and everyone working to make camp a great experience for these special youngsters, I say a sincere and heart-felt “thankyou,” including my sister and her husband, who have been reaching out to kids, touching lives and serving as positive role models for more than 25 years. In my heart, I believe these camps can help us build a better world.