For the past six years, Jo Ellenbecker has been a loyal Camp Friendship participant, spending an entire week in Annandale during the summer. But this year, he decided to try the day camp option at Camp Eden Wood in Eden Prairie – a decision that was an absolute hit. In fact, he said Camp Eden Wood is now his new favorite.
Jo isn’t alone. Camp Eden Wood offers a true Minnesota camp experience with the convenience of a metro location, and campers and caregivers were thrilled to welcome the program back for the first time since the pandemic.
“Day Camp is a great option for campers who are reluctant to go overnight somewhere, or to be gone for an entire week,” said Day Camp Program Manager Chris Halstead. “They get to go home at the end of the day and sleep in their own beds and it’s something that could encourage them to feel more comfortable being away from home.”
Jo found that comfort at Camp Eden Wood. During his sessions, he enjoyed drawing pictures for his grandma and cheering on other campers at the ropes course. Still, it’s the simple things that he appreciated most – like the connections he made. “I just get to hang out with all of my friends here,” he said.
From drop-off to pick-up, campers choose to participate in a variety of activities alongside True Friends’ dedicated staff members. Spending each day with the same group of people helps build fast friendships between campers and our team, enriching the camp experience.
Activities Counselor Jac Rampton says connecting with campers helps to make the experience more rewarding. “If you don’t have good rapport with them, you’re not going to know what they like,” he said. “If you do, you’d know not to send them to archery and go play soccer for a bit instead. You can find out what they want to do within their day.”
These connections are what can give campers the confidence to try new things and feel more independent, knowing they have the support of their friends and camp counselors. So far, more than 1,000 participants have attended True Friends camps across Minnesota, with many returning week after week throughout the summer.
“I think Day Camp is important because it gives us an opportunity to serve a group of people that otherwise wouldn’t be served,” Chris said. “The connections they make with the other campers and the staff really make a difference. The joy that it brings them, I think is 100% worth every penny that you can spend.”
In its first season back in six years, Day Camp has made a tremendous impact on the True Friends community. However, the campers and staff need more room to grow. The first step? Renovating Camp Eden Wood’s Birch Hall.
“That would be a huge improvement to our program, giving us another space because we’re very limited right now,” Chris added. “We don’t have a whole lot of indoor space, which has been a challenge this summer when the weather doesn’t cooperate. We’ve made do with the space that we have, and I think the staff has done a good job adapting to it, but the overall experience of camp would be better if we had another indoor space that we could utilize.”
To continue providing adventures and experiences for children and adults with disabilities, Camp Eden Wood needs the support of the True Friends community to help – and with the Wasie Foundation grant, this is a perfect time for donors to double their impact.
Camper Jo agrees. “I would want to tell everyone that they should give money to the camp because we should get more stuff for activities,” he said.
And who can argue with that?
Thank you for considering a gift to True Friends. Your support helps ensure our mission continues for many years to come.
