One of the best parts to being on the Board of
Got Your Back or volunteering with many national organizations and being part of the
lives of so many surviving families is being able to provide opportunities for
them to have fun!
About 8 weeks ago I met Neil through his
organization CampHometown
Heroes, he was looking for children affected by the combat related
death of a loved one for his upcoming camp. A camp that is designed to be fun,
designed to offer a normal camp experience to the children who attend. From my
first conversation with Neil I knew that we were meant to work together. I took
his information, the information on his camp and began to disseminate it to
surviving families that I knew… word got around QUICK! Within 2 days 12
children had signed up and were going to be flying from all over our country to attend camp. To be part of
the 62 inaugural campers at Camp Hometown Heroes Wisconsin summer camp
experience.
Hometown Heroes is a volunteer led
non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of children,
families, first responders and veterans in need through a "pay it
forward" approach to volunteerism and giving. By creating opportunities
for thousands of inspiring volunteers, Hometown Heroes not only benefits the
recipients but also those who serve.
As the
weeks got closer I saw mom’s get nervous, their babies attending camp in
another state (even on the other side of the ocean) but there is a sense of
pride in their fear. I was honored that they trusted me enough to suggest this trip - I have always said that I love their children as my own. Then the day came, each camper was headed to Wisconsin. I
anxiously followed their flights through Facebook posts, then I spent the week
following their camp experiences through their moms status updates and finally
they were all back home. When I started reading the AAR (After Action Reviews)
from the mothers and campers my heart was filled with happiness and warmth.
Being
part of an organization is about the people that you can help; the small
moments where one phone call brings about the happiness of 62 children. Next
year I am sure the camp will be bigger, I also hope to be going as a
counselor/volunteer with raise my goal of children attending by double. I am
proud of the girls that attended, I am proud to watch their growth and look
forward to seeing them all again soon.
Thank you to Camp Hometown
Heroes for their generosity and support to the children that have lost a loved
one during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and those that have been lost on
our homefront. If you would like to see more photos or read what some of the
campers and their parents had to say please visit their Facebook page at CampHometown Heroes
And thank you, Shana, for bringing this camp to us! We wouldn't have known without you, and the experience was like flipping a switch in my girls. The friendships they made, and the connection and support they got at the camp means the world to them. Thank you!! xoxo
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