Volunteers Help Share Camp Experiences With Families
In the early days of Aaron's Acres, an organization that provides socialization and recreation for children and young adults with special needs ages 5 to 21, the summer camp program served 25 or fewer campers. When Risa Paskoff, executive director of Aaron's Acres, wanted parents to see pictures of what the children did at camp, she simply asked the nurse to take photos. Staff and campers worked together to create a memory book for each child to take home.
"Once we got big (serving more than 200 campers), the nurse didn't have the time (to take photos)," recalled Paskoff. Instead, Paskoff turned to community members and asked them to help. "We want the community to see our kids," said Paskoff. "A lot of people think kids with disabilities are really limited, so we bring them here so they can see (our campers), and it changes their perspective. They say, 'I didn't expect (campers) to get in the water or on the horses.'" In the summer of 2019, more than 100 community volunteers visited during the six weeks of camp to take photos.
On June 21, three Fulton Bank employees joined Paskoff and more than 90 campers at Aaron's Acres' location at the New Holland Community Memorial Park. Jess Marzella, who works with the Small Business Administration in Pottstown, and Trish Mountain and Melissa Schaeffer, who work at the Penn Square Fulton location in Lancaster, all donated their time to take photos of the campers. The three women had responded to an email from Fulton coordinator Karen Landis. Marzella has a daughter with special needs, and she has been volunteering with the Best Buddies program at her daughter's school for several years. Her sensitivity in this area led her to volunteer. Mountain, who lives in Mountville, said that she has volunteered with Aaron's Acres for three years and with the Special Olympics for several years. She noted that her career is in banking, but she has a degree in therapeutic recreation and she enjoys helping out. Schaeffer, of Washington Boro, had volunteered with Aaron's Acres when the camp was in Manheim. She said that she had a niece with special needs who has passed away. "She was a delight in our lives," she recalled, adding, "It's amazing to watch these kids have such a great time with this experience."
Two days into camp at a new location in New Holland, Paskoff was pleased with the results of moving the six-week summer program. "Yesterday did not feel like the first day," she said. "We are in our new location. Not one kid had a problem with the transition." Paskoff noted that the recognizable yellow T-shirts of all camp staff members, the daily schedule, and the intentional routine of the camp days have helped to make the change to a new place easier. Paskoff noted the organization is looking for an existing building to renovate to meet its needs.
More information about Aaron's Acres may be found at http://www.aaronsacres.org.
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