To campers spending their time at Camp Holiday Trails, the experience is "like an endless dream of joy and fun." Camp Holiday Trails is home to a summer camp that works to create a fun experience for children with medical needs to thrive in. With a dedicated staff comprised almost entirely of volunteers, children feel supported around the clock.
Since 1973, Camp Holiday Trails has welcomed children with diverse medical diagnoses into a setting where they are able to engage in a camp experience filled with fun activities, opportunities to build friendships, and an avenue for campers to be their best selves. But none of this would be possible without the year-round support of volunteers that help establish the sense of community at Camp Holiday Trails in a variety of ways.
I spoke with McKenzie Markham of Camp Holiday Trails, whose work as a Program Director entails recruiting campers, volunteers, and partners, to learn more about the volunteer opportunities and experience. Virtually every aspect of the camp, from instructors to medical staff to facility management is put in the hands of volunteers. Markham says that, "Camp Holiday Trails relies on volunteers on a year-round basis through site maintenance." This work entails projects like trail clearing as well as building and maintaining structures at camp. Apart from site maintenance, volunteers also work directly with campers during the summer program throughout the days or as overnight volunteers. Another important aspect of volunteering at Camp Holiday Trails is the medical support provided by volunteers. Markham is, "incredibly grateful to the healthcare community in the Greater Charlottesville area" as these volunteers fill in to provide around-the-clock medical support at Camp. All in all, the impact that volunteers have is immeasurable, because all the work they do comes back to create an incredibly formative experience for the children that go through the program.
In fact, the Camp experience is so formative that many Campers come back to be volunteers, to be part of the community, and to serve as role models for current campers. Volunteers who work with CHT once are also likely to return and serve as volunteers again. This camper and volunteer retention rate has to do with the incredible community feel of the experience. Markham says that, "volunteers that contribute at any capacity notice that there is something unique about the community feel of the whole experience." For those interested in volunteering in the summer programming, Markham says that the learning experience is a two-way street. Not only is your contribution formative for the children, but hearing their stories can provide volunteers with a whole new perspective.
There is no doubt that Camp Holiday Trails has an enormous impact on the children that go through the program as it provides them with a chance to engage in a normal camp experience, shifting the focus away from the illness and onto the child. If you are interested in supporting Camp Holiday Trails as a volunteer, please visit https://campholidaytrails.org/volunteer/ or stay up to date with CHT needs by "becoming a fan" at this link.
The community can also support Camp Holiday Trails in other ways. The Camp relies heavily on individual donors to support programs and scholarships for kids. You can donate by visiting https://campholidaytrails.org/donate/ or by exploring other ways to give on the website. Lastly, you can help by spreading the word and sharing the opportunity with kids that may be interested, after all, the Camp wouldn't be a Camp without its wonderful campers!
