CAMP Matters, 1st Quarter, 2017

Children’s Association for Maximum Potential 1st Quarter, 2017

Three Cheers For CAMPfest!

CAMP Links Camper Application Volunteer Counselor, Summer Staff, & Health Care Volunteer Application Camp Calendar

CAMP’s mission is to strengthen and inspire individuals with special needs - and those who care for them - through Recreation, Respite, and Education.

CAMP Board of Directors President Kenneth McConnell Vice President Julie Allen Secretary Dr. Toni Hill Vice Secretary Dana Fox Treasurer Ed Kreusel Vice Treasurer Dr. Azreena Thomas

CAMP Advisory Committee Julianne Bass Amy Campos Jamie Fox Selena Frost Elena Guajardo Dr. Janessa Manning Dr. Fred McCurdy Anton Montano Jim Pennekamp Richard A. Ramirez Dr. Madeleine Reichert Mario Dominguez Chuck Smith Robert Kyle Garetson Fred Swaney Dr. Marilyn Harrington Dr. Phyllis Thompson Lee Matecko Vanessa Vance Dr. Alycia Maurer Jill Rosenthal Executive Director Mike Zerda Susan Osborne Staff Directory

A Message from Susan

Three Cheers for

2

CAMPfest!

3

Save the Date for The Big Give

7

Applications Rolling in for Summer 2017

8

CAMP Staff Stand Out in Scholarship Essay Contest

9

10 Reasons Businesses Should Hire Former CAMP Counselors

11

Tribute Gifts

13

CAMP CFC #25279

#225

Mark Your Calendar

A Message from Susan CAMP is truly honored to have been selected to participate in the 2017 Texas Cavaliers’ River Parade. This year’s theme is “Kaleidoscope”.

For 76 years, this one-of-a-kind parade has been showcasing vibrant floats decorated with the bold colors of Fiesta, paired with festive music, to thousands of spectators along the San Antonio River. CAMP’s float will feature Campers, Volunteers, and Staff,

all

dressed

in

costumes

from

well known Children’s Books.

I invite you to come out and help us celebrate Fiesta!

The parade is on Monday, April 24th from 7pm – 9pm. Tickets are available for purchase through the Texas Cavaliers website or call (210) 22-RIVER. All money

Save the date for the 9th Annual Starry Night CAMP Gala Saturday, September 9, 2017 Support CAMP when YOU Shop!

raised through the sale of parade tickets supports local children’s charities through the Texas Cavaliers Charitable Foundation.

Looking forward to seeing YOU there, Viva Fiesta!

Susan Osborne, Executive Director

Connect With CAMP @

Three Cheers for It was a beautiful Hill Country spring day on March 25th for our 2017 CAMPfest event at Camp CAMP in Center Point, TX. Over 300 people attended this fun filled day.

Campers enjoyed arts and crafts, outdoor cooking, archery, visited the petting zoo, explored a fire truck and ambulance courtesy of the Kerrville Fire Department, met H-E-Buddy, had a fabulous lunch provided by Whataburger

and much more! Parents and those interested in volunteering had several opportunities to attend Question and Answer sessions with seasoned CAMP staff followed by tours of CAMP. There were 17 local agencies represented in the Resource Fair where information was shared about services available for individuals with special needs. “We are truly grateful to the organizations and individuals who came to CAMPfest to host activities,� said

r CAMPfest 2017 Lauren Weiss, CAMPfest organizer.

many CAMP Alumni and Volunteers.

Three cheers for CAMPfest Helpers!

Hip-Hip-Hooray!

Thank YOU to Resource Fair participants: Amerigroup, Annie Art Therapy, Any Baby Can of San Antonio, Inc., Behavioral Innovations, Brighton Center, Children with Special Health Needs Program, Eva’s Heroes, Homelife and Community Services, Inc., JBSA Exceptional Family Membership Program, Pediatric Home Healthcare, Potential Growth, LLC, Respite Care of San Antonio, Starfish Social Club, Texas

Hip-Hip-Hooray!

Thank-you to Whataburger for generously providing lunch for our guests.

Hip-Hip-Hooray!

Thank YOU for sharing your time and talent with our guests: Annie Art Therapy, Margie Barker, H-E-Buddy, Kerrville Fire and EMS, Marien Elizabeth Photography, South Texas Blood and Tissue, and the

Three C

Cheers...

Parent to Parent, Texas Health Steps and STAR Program Outreach and Informing, The DoSeum, and Triple-H Equitherapy Center, Inc. Finally thank YOU everyone who came out to share this beautiful day with us. To our Campers, volunteers, old and new friends we hope to see you this summer, and to the generous participating organizations we hope you’ll join us for Fall CAMPfest on October 21, 2017!

Save-the-Date for The Big Give #TheBigGive2017, South Central Texas’ twenty-four hour online giving day, is back and it’s better than ever!

Starting at 12 am on May 4th YOU can help Campers reach their Maximum Potential when you click here and DONATE $10 (or more) OR click FUNDRAISE, to set up YOUR OWN fundraising page, and become a Champion for CAMP! “This is the fourth year CAMP has participated in The Big Give,” said Susan Osborne, Executive Director.

“The generosity of CAMP supporters directly impacts the 700 plus Campers who need financial assistance to attend a week at CAMP.” When you give $10 or $10,000, EVERY

GIFT COUNTS! Last year 321 donors helped CAMP win an additional $6,790.50 in cash prizes adding an average of $21.00 to every gift received!

“We had a lot of fun with The Big Give in 2016, posting staff stunts on Facebook Live as CAMP supporters generously gave and laughed along with us,” said Ben Elble, Camp Director. “Not that getting shot with paintballs was fun, but to help our Campers, it was worth it!”

Be sure to follow to CAMP’s social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and check your emails to learn about contests and staff stunts as we get closer to May 4th.

Applications Rolling for Summer 2107 Tis’ the season for Summer 2017 CAMP Applications for everyone, this includes Campers, Health Care Volunteers, Volunteer Counselors, and Summer Support Staff. Sessions fill quickly so if you are planning to be at CAMP this summer, and have not submitted your electronic application, you will need to do so very soon! Applicants are encouraged to use a computer for all applications as electronic applications are NOT mobile friendly.

“Applications for Campers have several variables depending on a Camper’s individual needs,” said Michelle Elble, Director of Family Support Programs. “We added the CAMP Application Process link to ensure medical information is thorough and payment options are clear.”

“There are still positions open for Health

Care Volunteers, Volunteer Counselors, and Summer Support Staff,” said Sarah Coulombe, Administration Director.

Health Care Volunteers may earn continuing education credits when they volunteer during the weeks that CAMP offers its Developmental Disabilities Reality Course.

Volunteer Counselors earn 99 service hours after they complete Pre-CAMP training and serve one week at CAMP. Summer Support Staff include paid positions (for the entire summer) in the kitchen, maintenance, and housekeeping departments.

For questions about Camper applications email Michelle Elble. For questions about Health Care Volunteer, Volunteer Counselor, or Summer Support Staff applications email Sarah Coulombe.

CAMP Staff Stand Out in S

Scholarship Essay Contest CAMP is proud to recognize the Scholarship Winners of the 2016 CAMP Essay Contest!

They are all smart cookies with big hearts.

Pictured with Campers from left to right beginning at the top are: Ivalis Guajardo, “CAMP is a place

where friendships ability.”

know

nothing

of

Rhiannon Aleman, “The [first] week I

spent [at CAMP] opened my eyes to a different world, a beautiful one.”

Andrew Wickersham, "Not a day goes

by at CAMP that I don't learn something new about myself, my peers, or the world, and that is truly a reason to smile.”

Valeria Laddaga, ”CAMP is a place

where everyone has the opportunity to be themselves without judgments and with endless amounts of respect, love, happiness, and fun.”

Shelby Vigil, “Outside of the CAMP

gates some of our friends aren’t given the same opportunities or acceptance that they get while they’re here. While we can’t change every individual outside of CAMP, we can show our Campers how valuable and special they are.”

Aurora Brinkman, “CAMP is a place

where people see each other for their individuality, not their diagnosis.”

Rachel Franklin, “No individual should

ever have to fit into the world, the world should mold around the individual with a never ending blanket of love and acceptance, CAMP is a place where you never have to worry about this blanket.”

10 Reasons Businesses Should they are able to approach every situation in life with an “I want to learn more” attitude.

3.

A self-starter: While camp counselors are given very good supervision, no one is holding their hand every step of the way. They very quickly learn that as far as their campers are concerned, THEY are the “go-to” person. If one of their campers forgets a toothbrush it is their responsibility to get them one from the wellness center.

Guest article by Anne Archer Yetsko When I speak with friends who work in other industries, I always tell them that if you have an applicant who has been a camp counselor and has a positive reference from that camp, they should move to the top of that pile of applications that are overflowing on their desk.

A camp counselor is one of the hardest jobs out there. It is not all fun and games. Here is my list of the top 10 qualities you get when you hire someone who has been a camp counselor.

1.

A good communicator: Camp counselors have to be able to communicate well with campers, parents, coworkers, and superiors. This is different from any other job because parents leave the most valuable thing in their lives with us, their child. At our CAMP they have about 2 hours to speak to the counselors and feel confident in them before they leave their precious Camper (often for the first time ever) in the care of a 14-22 year old counselor for a whole week.

2.

A life-long learner: When someone works in a camp setting, they learn that to be successful in camp and in life they have to realize they have a lot to learn not only about camp and their campers but also about themselves. Once they make that transition

4.

A resilient individual: Camp counselors can handle anything. Just ask the counselor who has been helping a camper overcome homesickness or teaching activities in the rain for 4 days straight, only to learn that there is a camper in their cabin with lice. When they hear this, instead of curling up in a ball and hiding (the way any normal person would), they grab their gloves, strip all the beds in the cabin, get all of the laundry to the cleaners, and get all the campers lined up outside to check each one for nits. I repeat, camp counselors can, and do, handle anything!

5.

A problem solver: At camp we try to keep things very scheduled and organized, but at the drop of a hat, plans can change. Imagine walking out of the dining hall with 250 campers and staff to play sock war (like capture the flag but you get to throw socks at each other!) when you hear a loud burst of thunder and have to come up with a new plan in an instant.

d Hire Former Camp Counselors 6.

A creative thinker: When you need a new plan immediately, leave it to a camp counselor to come up with the most brilliant and fun game that anyone has ever heard of. If you think a boardroom of 10 lawyers is intimidating try standing in front of 100 campers who are expecting to have the most fun they have ever had and your plan that you have been working on all week just got rained out.

7.

A detail-oriented worker: Remember, camp counselors are responsible for THE most important thing in a parent’s life. Each and every detail is unbelievably important! Did a camper have enough to eat at breakfast, drink enough water, make a new friend, skin their knee, play kickball, miss their mom, have wet shoes, lose their sweatshirt . . . ? Now multiply this by a whole cabin of campers!

8.

A leader: It does not matter if you consider yourself a leader or not, the moment campers arrive on property their counselor is their leader and their biggest role model. They watch their counselor’s every move. It is amazing how quickly camp counselors learn how to take on this role and own it.

9.

A team player: Camp counselors are some of the best team players you will ever meet. They have learned that they cannot do it all on their own and that the best product is produced when you have a team working on it.

In a camp setting, you need all different personality types to be able to meet each and every camper’s need where they are. Most people come into this job thinking they can do it all, but it does not take long for them to realize that this job is physically impossible alone.

10. A solid work ethic: It is very difficult to explain to someone who has never been a camp counselor how hard this job really is.

These high school and college students work 24

hours a day for 3 months with very little time off and they do all the things mentioned in 1–9 with a smile on their face.

Employers who themselves have been camp counselors understand the qualities required to successfully do this job and, consequently, often seek these individuals out when filling positions. But now the secret is getting out and having “Summer Camp Counselor” on a resume can make a potential employee much more desirable!

Anne Archer Yetsko is the associate director of Camp Merri-Mac in Black Mountain, North Carolina. She has worked for Merri-Mac for 12 years and is also a recent graduate of Touro University’s Camp Administration and Leadership master’s program. This blog was originally posted on the Merri-Mac blog.

Reprinted by permission of the American Camp Association. ©2013, American Camping Association, Inc.

Tribute Gifts DAVID ALDRICH Richard W. Aldrich

LOGAN MOODIE Myron and Laura Moodie

ANDY AND JULIE ALLEN Paul and Pam Rohlfs

NEISD Special Education Department Kristen E. Williams

VIRGINIA ALLRED Allan and Gwen Kropp

MATTHEW PETROSKY Karrie Kimbrell

SCOTT AND SHANNON BENDLE Larry and Pat Bendle

CHRIS PLAUCHE, M.D. Kimberly Sullivan

RYAN BLOUGH Karrie Kimbrell

ELLEN ROGERS Henry and Julie Rogers

DR. BRANDON BRIERY Charlotte Caples Tafaro

GALEN CARR SHEPHERD Carl Shepherd

JABE COCHREN Homer and Beverly Rhodes

EDDIE SIMS Angy and Dory Stiles Gary and Lisa Weaver Kaye Wells

MADELINE GERHART David and Laura Leach GINA GRAVES John Harp BELINDA AND NERVA HERCULE Claire and Toby Jackson MEGHAN HILL General J.T. and Dr. Toni Hill Ben and Jennie Lou Reid William Robertson

TRAVIS STRAND Kristen Ann Algert COLE TOLSON Nicole Thelin RHETT URBAN Paul Urban MARISSA URIBE Vilma Luna

HARRIET KAY Ben and Elinore Brown

BRANDY AND JOHN WILLIAMS Claire and Toby Jackson

JAY LEMIRE Bruce and Marjorie Lemire

JEVON WOOD Claire and Toby Jackson

YOU matter to us! Have you moved recently? Do you need to update your records? Would you like to speak with someone in the development office?

Contact Lauren Weiss (210) 671-6002 lauren.weiss@campcamp.org

Lackland AFB

Center Point, TX

CAMP Executive Offices

Camp CAMP Facility

Please send all Camper, Volunteer and Staff paperwork, mail, faxes, or donations here.

Please send mail and faxes here only when your Camper, Volunteer, or Staff Member is at CAMP.

Mailing Address:

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 27086

P.O. Box 999

San Antonio, TX 78227

Center Point, TX 78010

Physical Address:

Physical Address:

2525 Ladd Street Bldg. 3850

515 Skyline Drive

Lackland AFAB, TX 78236

Center Point, TX 78010

Phone: (210) 671-5411

Phone: (830) 634-2267

Fax: (210) 671-5225

Fax: (210) 858-8035

Website: www.campcamp.org