In the scheme of life cycles, for me, and Cid, Summer has meant at least one week of Summer Camp. Time was, when our own children were young, we'd spend a week volunteering at Girl Scout Day Camps. That's how Cid & I met over twentyfour years ago. In the year 2,000 Girl Scouts held their summer day camp program at Camp Woodhaven in West Boylston. I was the Camp Director for one week there and knew the camp was not being used for 10 weeks of summer and so I negotiated a week for Family Fun Days at Camp at Camp Woodhaven for the families of the Autism Resource Center. Thus a tradition was born and for 17 years we ran 2 weeks of a Family day camp experience. The passage of ARICA in 2010 meant that by 2012 families were no longer in need of a program to keep their children on the spectrum occupied as their health insurance covered ABA programs. We saw attendance dwindle and in 2016 we held our last week of a Camp program at Camp Marshall with barely a dozen families taking advantage of the offering. It was a littke sad for us but we still had Camp Havvago.
In 2009 a woman named Emily Golinsky called me and asked if we might meet, explaining she was the Director of Camp Starfish and would like to collaborate with the Center to provide a camp experience for kids with autism. When we met I recognized a twinkle in her eye as we talked that told me she was a camper through and through and had a passion for children with challenges that made me confident that she would do everything possible to make a camp experience for our kids more than we could ever dream of providing. We jumped in and collaborating with Camp Starfish offered a 3 day 2 night experience to our families for their kids on the spectrum. The only caveat was that children had to be independent in toileting and showering. This expanded to a 5 day , 4 night program as kids on the spectrum proved they could easily be away from home for more than a few nights and flourish. Over the years we have, with Emily and the amazing staff at Camp Starfish's help provided a quality experience for well over 100 kids on the spectrum. The camp allows them the opportunity to be like every other child who attends camp and test their wings at independence out from the shadow of Mom & Dad's hands. It also has provided families some very needed respite from the demand that autism can bring to a family. Each year we are priviledged to watch as kids become more capable, more sure of themselves all while they are having the time of their lives. This week Cid & I are at Camp Starfish having a blast!
I was saddened to recieve an e-mail from Camp Starfish last spring announcing that this would be Emily Golinsky's last year at the helm. In the nine years we have worked together I have watched her take a pretty worn down facility and build it up, adding buildings, programs, and opportunities for kids to move beyond being a camper to learning leadership skills and building their confidence and self esteem. I have watched friendships between kids develop, a gift beyond measure for kids with autism. I have seen kids become self assured young adults under the tutelage of countless talented counselors, taught by Emily, learning self control and belief in their own capabilities and self worth.
If you have had the priviledge of having your child be a Havvago Camper, please take a moment and thank Emily for her vision, her compassion and her boundless love for kids like ours. She deserves our thanks for making the world a much better place for our kids. Send notes to :
Emily Golinsky
Camp Starfish
12 Camp Mononomac Rd
Rindge, NH 04361.
I'll be on vacation next week but will be back the last week of July. Have great week !
Sue
|