During our first camp week, some of the Day Camp kiddos that we worked with were cousins Grant, Grayson, Brody, and Baylor. They were signed up by Kimberly who sat down and talked with one of our Day Camp staff members about her experiences in the community and with Mountain T.O.P. She talked about the safe community that they live in, and how the friendly people and quiet, slower paced life fit their needs better than a city ever could. Kimberly is very in tune with the community as she has been a teacher for 28 years in the area and has known many of her current student’s family members as students. Overall, there are very few things that Kimberly would consider a challenge for living in the area outside of having to travel for doctor’s appointments, shopping, and jobs for some folk. We also asked Kimberly what brings her joy. Her first answer was the boys, Grant, Grayson, and Brody. Kimberly also discussed finding joy in serving others, and when she puts God first in her life she said that she feels joy in those moments. Kimberly also went on to talk more about the impact that the YRG we had at her house was playing an instrumental role in bringing little snippets to joy.
One of our Youth Renewal Groups went out to Kimberly’s house everyday that week and led the boys in Bible stories, games, reading, crafts, and more. While working with these kiddos, the Youth Renewal Group was able to meet them where they needed, and also adapted well on the fly to make sure they weren’t bored. This was especially important for Grant who has cerebral palsy and is a wheelchair user. In talking with Kimberly and her mother, they told of how they tried to keep Grant as involved in things as possible and that they would try any activity with him once to see if it were possible for him to continue doing. They did this with a vacation bible school program within the last couple years, but by the time they were able to help Grant travel between stations it was time to switch to the next one. Mountain T.O.P. 's front yard day camp program is the only that has ever come to him, which has allowed him to learn and grow alongside his cousins. In a letter Kimberly wrote to us she said, “Mountain T.O.P. Youth leaders are blessing disabled children with Christian friends through being part of the group. Grant told me that he contributes and his ideas are commended by the youth leaders in the group. He feels a sense of belonging to something important.” She also discussed the growth that she has seen in all of the participating kiddos in the areas of vocabulary, communication, and grammar skills which has ultimately led to improvements in their writing skills as well. Without running our front yard Day Camp program this summer, we wouldn’t have been able to meet Grant’s needs, thus leaving him out of all of the wonderful experiences that this program has to offer. We are so thankful to have been able to work with Grant and look forward to continuing to find ways to make sure kiddos with exceptionalities can still be involved in our Day Camp programming in the future.
Tessa Burger | 2021 Day Camp Ministry Coordinator