Spring 2020 Newsletter

SPRING 2020 HIGHLIGHTS:

Professional Tips: Life Lessons from the Hospital Find Your Camp Special Events and more!

Learn more about Anne Marie’s big moment – and why it’s thanks to you!

See page 2, From The Chair letter.

From The Chair

BY PATRICK SAMUELS

The year of 2020 is already off to a fantastic start at Camp For All! We kicked this year off with the Paint The Town gala in January where we celebrated the joy Camp brings. The gala was wildly successful and will help bring thousands of campers and their families to Camp! WOW! One of the most special moments at the gala, this year was hearing from Anne Marie, a camper who came to Camp For All with the Monarch School and The HUB Houston. She shared why Camp was such a transformative and important place for her. Anne Marie is 19 years old and has autism and PANS, a brain swelling syndrome. Guests truly got to understand first-hand the impact Camp For All has on campers with special needs and challenging illnesses. Best said in Anne Marie’s words, “My friends and I face different challenges every day, but at Camp For All many of those struggles disappear. No one feels pressured or left out. All of the “cant’s” become CANS!”

We can’t wait to turn approximately 11,000 more can’ts into CANS this year!

Special thanks to the Camp For All donors, Partners and staff who make these transformations possible.

Professionally Speaking

BY PAT PRIOR SORRELLS, PRESIDENT AND CEO

One of the many reasons Camp For All excels in providing a unique, barrierfree camp to approximately 11,000, annually is that our staff are professionals in the camping and special needs industry. Their combined 85 plus years of experience facilitates personal development, growth in self-confidence, self-advocacy and many other skills that impact our campers for the rest of their lives. Through intentionally designed programming, these skills can range from learning how to make a friend to positive changes in behaviors that bring parents to tears.

Recognized nationally for their expertise, here are some of the 2020 presentations by Camp For All professionals at the American Camp Association national conference in San Diego and the regional Texoma conference, which took place at Camp For All: 2 | CAM P F O R A L L | S P R I NG 20 20

PRESENTERS AND THEIR TOPICS Lindsay Gallmore, Program Supervisor, Camp For All 2U • Program Creativity and Camp Fun, Anywhere Taylor Terrell, Food Services Supervisor • Leader, Special Needs Round Table Kurt Podeszwa, Camp Director • Closing Keynote: Taking it All Home • Personal Mission and Leadership Alice Haefeli, Program Supervisor • Vocal Techniques to Survive Summer Alice Haefeli and Ian McKenzie, Program Supervisors • Creating a Culture of Feedback Abbey Wright, Program Supervisor • Proactive Behavior Management at Camp

MISSION Camp For All is a unique, barrier-free camp working in partnership with other not-for-profit organizations to enrich the lives of children and adults with challenging illnesses or special needs and their families throughout the year.

“I felt like I had no one. Until I went to Camp For All. There, I realized I was not alone.”

“At Camp For All, everyone

Camper Quotes

can be themselves and are encouraged to BELIEVE in themselves no matter what adversity they face on a daily basis.”

– SPIKE N’ WAVE CAMPER, EPILEPSY FOUNDATION OF TEXAS HOUSTON/DALLAS/FORT WORTH

– THE HUB CAMPER, THE HUB HOUSTON

“Thank you to all the staff and the people who fund this sanctuary of love! This camp helps us that are disabled have the ability to canoe, ride horses, shoot archery, dance, and feel loved. Thank you all with all my heart!”

– FAMILY DISCOVERY CAMPER, NATIONAL MS SOCIETY

“I made so many friends there. I was so shy at the beginning, but when I went more and more I found friends that will last a lifetime. Before I went to Camp I said “sorry” constantly for my Tourette’s. They taught me that I didn’t have to feel sorry when I did the things I did. I’m so happy and so grateful to be blessed with a camp I could feel at home with. Thank you Camp For All!” –DU BALLON ROUGE CAMPER, TOURETTE SYNDROME ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS

DONATE!

campforall.org/donate/ Camp For All is supported by private philanthropic foundations, individuals, corporations, small businesses and events. The Camp For All total budget is more than $5 million, annually. We appreciate donations of any size.

Visit https://www.campforall.org/donate/ to donate today or call us at

713-686-5666!

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Camps that come to Camp For All

HOW TO FIND THE CAMP FOR YOU: 1

Visit www.campforall.org

2

Click the “Find Your Camp” button in the navigation bar

3

Select the category or categories that apply to you or your loved one

Summer 2020

DATE CAMP NEED May 21-24 Janus Children with burns May 25-29 Sunrise Teens with developmental challenges May 26-29 Monarch Butterfly Children with neurological differences May 31-June 5 MDA Summer Camp Children with neuromuscular disease June 1-5 Camp For All 2U Program for children in hospitals

- Texas Children’s Hospital Main Campus June 7-13 Spike N’ Wave Children with epilepsy June 14-19 Star Trails Children with cancer and blood disorders June 17 Star Trails Junior Camper Day Children ages 4-5 with cancer

and blood disorders and their parents June 15-19 Camp For All 2U Program for children in hospitals

- Dell Children’s Medical Center June 21-26 Rainbow Connection Children and teens with cancer June 21-26 Dreamcatcher Children with cancer June 22-26 Camp For All 2U Program for children in hospitals

- Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus June 28-July 3 Camp That Love Built Children and adults with spina bifida June 28-July 3 Smiles Children with cerebral palsy July 5-10 X-Treme Youth participating in wheelchair sports July 5-10 PHEver Children and teens with phenylketonuria (PKU) July 5-10 Social Superheros Children with social and learning differences July 6-10 Camp For All 2 U Program for children in hospitals July 12-17 Hope Children with HIV or AIDS July 13-17 Camp For All 2U Program for children in hospitals

- Memorial Hermann July 19-24 Champions Campers 10 and up with intellectual challenges July 20-24 Camp For All 2U Program for children in hospitals

- MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital July 26-Aug 1 Periwinkle Children with cancer and their siblings July 27-31 Camp For All 2U Program for children in hospitals

- Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands Aug 2-7 Cell-A-Bration Children with sickle cell disease Aug 2-7 Discovery Texas Children with skin disorders Aug 2-7 Shining Stars Children with kidney disease Aug 11-14 TR Summit Conference for therapeutic recreation specialists

*Please refer to www.campforall.org for schedule updates.

PARTNER Camp Janus Briarwood Tuttle School The Monarch School Muscular Dystrophy Association Camp For All Epilepsy Foundation of Texas Houston /Dallas/Fort Worth MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital Camp For All Childhood Cancer Connection McLane Children’s Medical Center Camp For All Spina Bifida Association of Houston Easter Seals of Greater Houston TIRR Foundation Texas Children’s Hospital The Parish School Camp For All AIDS Foundation Houston Camp For All The ARC of Greater Houston Camp For All The Periwinkle Foundation Camp For All Sickle Cell Association of Austin Marc Thomas Foundation American Academy of Dermatology Kidney Kamp Foundation Texas Recreation and Park Society

Welcome to our New Assistant Camp Director, Bethany Frazier!

Bethany has been attending or working at a camp every summer since she was 8 years old. She grew up near Charlotte, NC and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education from Erskine College, a small college in South Carolina with an undergrad population of only 400!

Since then she has worked in traditional, family and special needs camps in the Hendersonville, NC area. Most recently she was the director of a camp for adults with developmental disabilities in Central Florida.

Bethany loves to be outside, especially hiking, swimming and mountain biking. In her former life, she believes she would’ve been a backpacking instructor and trip leader. She also loves traveling and small towns – so she’s right at home in Burton!

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Contact the organization directly to sign up!

Fall 2020

*Please refer to www.campforall.org for schedule updates.

DATE CAMP

NEED

PARTNER

Sept 9-11

Bridgeprep

Children with learning differences

Bridgeprep Academy

Sept 11-13

NF Camp

Families affected by neurofibromatosis

Texas Neurofibromatosis

Sept 11-13

OAR

Teens with challenges

Easter Seals of Greater Houston

Sept 18-20

Be An Angel

Families who have a child with special needs

Be An Angel Fund, Inc

Sept 23 - 24

CSA Sleepaway

Children with learning differences

Capitol School of Austin

Sept 25-27

YOLO

Teens with life-threatening illnesses and their siblings The Periwinkle Foundation

Sept 25-27 Periwinkle Family Camp

Families affected by cancer or other life-threatening illnesses

The Periwinkle Foundation

Oct 2-4

MS Family Discovery Camp

Families that have an adult with MS

National Multiple Sclerosis Society Lone Star

Oct 7-8

The HUB

Neurodiverse teenagers and young adults

The HUB Houston

Oct 8-9

Monarch Chrysalis

Children with neurological differences

The Monarch School

Oct 9-11

Long Term Survivor Camp

Adult long term survivors

The Periwinkle Foundation

Oct 9-11

KGAT (Kids Get Arthitis Too)

Children with arthritis

Arthritis Foundation

Oct 9-11

MOST

Teens with challenges

Easter Seals of Greater Houston

Oct 16-18

Cliff

Families affected by cancer

Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Family Alliance

Oct 23-25

LIFE

Children with physical and intellectual challenges Texas A&M University

Oct 23-25

People with Smiles

People older than 8 with Prader Willi Syndrome

Oct 23-25

Safe Haven Family Camp

Families who have adopted or are fostering children Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Oct 30-Nov 1

Linking Lives

Teens with challenging illnesses

Texas Children’s Hospital

Oct 30-Nov 1

Fall Camp Out

Teens with developmental challenges

Arc of Greater Houston

Nov 6-8

22Q Texas

Families affected by 22q deletion syndrome

VCFS Texas Inc.

Nov 13-15

Duchenne Family Retreat

Families affected by Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy

Nov 20 - 22

Camp Healing Hearts

Families who have lost a loved one

Texas Prader Willi Association

Bo’s Place

Nov 20 - 22 Campamento Sanando Corazones Spanish-speaking families

who have lost a loved one

Bo’s Place

Nov 20 - 22

Easter Seals of Greater Houston

Easter Seals Family Camp

Find your Camp or recommend a camp to a friend or family member.

Families who have a child with special needs

Congratulations to Kurt Podeszwa!

Congratulations Y to Camp For All WAG O Camp Director, Kurt TO RT! Podeszwa, who KU received the National Service Award from the American Camp Association at the National Conference in San Diego!

MAKE A GIFT TO

COME TOUR

CAMP FOR ALL! MEET A NEED! SCHEDULE A TOUR Call 713-686-5666,

BY CALLING ext. 12 to check an item 713-686-5666

n Special Diet 4 Burner Range: $2,500 n Adaptive Saddle: $6,000

off our wish list!

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Camp For All Events are Special!

PLACE: The Revaire CHAIRS: Beth Clarke and Lesley Schick UNDERWRITING CHAIR: Martha White HONOREES: Diann and Michael Lewter; the Mogas Family FUNDS RAISED: More than $920,000

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1

1.) The honorees 2.) Robert and Marion Anderson 3.) Lesley Schick, Beth Clarke and Martha White 4.) Patrick and Emily Samuels 5.) Khambrel Marshall and Pat Sorrells

5

4

GO OVER THE EDGE and support Camp For All on April 18. Join other brave

souls raising money by rappelling off of the rooftop of the 115-foot lake-front One Hughes Landing in The Woodlands. Proceeds benefit Camp For All and our campers.

If you're not brave enough to go Over The Edge, cheer on the rapellers at this familyfriendly event featuring Camp For All inspired-lakefront entertainment and activities.

Food and drinks will be available during the event from vendors at Hughes Landing.

REGISTER to rappel or donate to a rappeller at campforall.org/events or text OTE to 71777. #CampForAllOTE THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: ROOFTOP SPONSOR:

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EDGE SPONSOR:

What is Camp For All 2U? CAMP FOR ALL 2U is our award-winning outreach program that provides our amazing camp experiences, indoors and in town. Our campers are pediatric patients who cannot leave the hospital to come to Camp and campers who do come to Camp but need more “can do” spirit!

Canoeing, archery, s’mores, barnyard animals, you name it, it’s happening!

WHERE: Camp For All 2U serves hospitals in both Houston and Austin WHEN: Camp For All 2U 2020 Summer Schedule June 1-5: Texas Children’s Hospital Main Campus June 15-19: Dell Children’s Medical Center June 22-26: Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus July 13-17: Memorial Hermann July 20-24: MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital July 27-31: Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands HOW YOU CAN HELP: Volunteers are an essential part of the success of Camp For All 2U! You can help bring joy to a child who otherwise would be stuck in a hospital room!

VISIT campforall.org/volunteer or email volunteer@campforall.org for more information. *Volunteers must be 18 years-old or older and submit a liability release, background check and a negative results TB test dated within the past 12 months.

PROFESSIONAL

TIPS

Life Lessons from the Hospital BY LINDSAY GALLMORE, CAMP FOR ALL 2U PROGRAM SUPERVISOR Camp For All 2U campers come from a wide variety of populations. They can be inpatients, outpatients, or siblings. We meet campers who have been in the hospital for months as well as campers with minor injuries like broken bones. If you cross paths with a child facing a medical challenge, it can sometimes be hard to know how to react. The tips below can help you connect and interact with children who are facing medical challenges, big or small: Tip #1: Remember that kids just want to be kids!

Sometimes we see a kid in a wheelchair or with a bald head and immediately think that we know the story. Let’s change that narrative and instead greet them with a smile and get to know each other! Kids just want to have fun! Try to find activities that kids can enjoy with a variety of energy levels. Coloring and group games are always a hit!

You can be supportive and not know anything about a diagnosis. We can let that stuff stay between the parents and doctors.

Tip #2: Kids thrive in an environment of order and routine.

When working with children it is always important to set limits and have boundaries. Children understand this and respect it.

Tip #3: Just listen.

This is one of the greatest tools in helping strengthen a child’s self-respect.

Tip #4: Strive to help children feel comfortable.

Avoid talking about: • D iagnosis – It is important to remember that a child did not choose what they’re going through. They might not be equipped to have that conversation and it is not our place to have it.

•B ravery – Refrain from saying that kids are “so brave” or “troopers.” Again, they do not want to be in this situation and they’re doing the best they can.

• Religion – Faith and beliefs are personal. It is unfair to comment.

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NON-PROFIT ORG. US. POSTAGE 3701 KIRBY DRIVE, SUITE 570 • HOUSTON, TEXAS 77098 6301 REHBURG ROAD • BURTON, TEXAS 77835

PA I D HOUSTON, TEXAS PERMIT NO. 10064

2020 CAMP FOR ALL BOARD OF DIRECTORS C HA I R

Patrick Samuels Marion Anderson Gary Appelt, M.D. Tom Behanick Brett Berly Jason Bernhardt Julie Boushka Beth Clarke Lyndsay Weber Fincher Bob Funk Steve Gilbreath Mark Harmon Michael E. Lewter Stephanie Magers Matt Mogas Mike Odegard Stacie Pitts Robin Reed Ann Rogers Joshua Samuels, M.D. Lesley Schick Julie Taetz Eric Wade Leslye Weaver Martha White Dena Wren Julius Young EX OF F I C I O

Katie Dowdell Kyle Merten Pat Prior Sorrells Peter Wismer EM ER I TUS

Paul Gerson, M.D. Laurence B. Neuhaus Robert S. Zeller, M.D. P R E SI DENT A ND C EO

Pat Prior Sorrells

At Camp

Events

Campers at Camp For All discover life, but so do our volunteers! Everyone at Camp For All has a heartfelt understanding and appreciation for the impact our volunteers make.

Our goal is to match our volunteer expectations with what is best for our campers. Volunteer activities vary from serving food in the kitchen, painting fences, assisting in camper activities and more!

Events - Camp For All hosts two galas per year as well as our annual Over The Edge event. The team works year-round to make these events happen and can always use extra hands when planning, setting up and breaking down.

CONTACT our Special Events Manager, Ricki Hendrix at 713-686-5666, ext. 15 or email her at rhendrix@campforall.org.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: Summer: Mondays – Thursdays Spring and Fall: Saturdays Contact our Volunteer Supervisor, at volunteer@campforall.org to sign up!

G E N ER A L C OUNSEL

Gary W. Miller

Follow us! Visit www.campforall.org or call 713.686.5666 for more information about donating, attending or volunteering!