My step-daughter was diagnosed at age 8 with schizophrenia. Shortly after my wife and I got married, I began taking psychology courses at a local college just to learn more about how best to raise and support my step-daughter. Eventually this led me to full time work in the mental health field.

Camp Get-A-Way invited my agency to come volunteer for a few hours to get a first-hand look at what they could do for our clients. So I volunteered…and the rest is history. I was absolutely amazed by how effective and impactful just a few short days of intentional activities had on the families who attended the camp.

One year, I witnessed a large family arrive on the first day in total chaos; arguing with each other, tired, hungry, and all were not in the best of moods. By the third day, I saw this same family running arm-in-arm across an open field singing a song, laughing, and having a great time. It looked like a scene from The Sound of Music. That evening over dinner, they made a comment to me that they had never before sat down together “as a family” to have a meal. Attending this camp, they explained, had changed everyone in the family in a very positive way. They returned the next year and the growth inspired by the first year was evident and increasing. Seeing this impact, I could not help but get involved with Camp Get-A-Way.

JAMES