Learning to Fly

We love children for their enthusiasm and their ability to dream larger than life. Let a child spread their wings and you’ll witness one of life’s greatest treasures. It goes without saying that every child deserves the opportunity to soar. Unfortunately, some children like James haven’t been able to express themselves. Through no fault of his own James has been grounded, so to speak, for the majority of his life. Now, thanks to the encouraging environment of Jameson Camp, he’s finally learning how to use his wings and discovering what it means to fly.

To say that James grew up in a difficult environment would be an understatement. His parents were alcoholics and drug-users and they would often leave James and his younger sister Teanna home alone. When their parents split up, their mom continued to use drugs with her new boyfriends. Their dad moved away and his whereabouts are currently unknown. Fortunately for James and Teanna, their rocky home life stabilized on March 2^nd, 2008 when Paula began to foster them. Paula took them in and immediately saw the effects of past parental neglect. “They both had diagnoses of ADD,” she said. “James struggled with anxiety and Teanna battled depression. There were also some attachment disorders. They came from an environment where they were neglected mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically.”  After 2 years, James and Teanna said they wanted to stay with Paula long-term so shortly thereafter, she officially adopted them.

Along with a safe home, Paula also looked for a safe outdoor environment where her children could learn and grow. At Jameson Camp, Paula and James met Deborah Pickett and her husband who were (and still are) camp donors. Mrs. Pickett was a previous camper’s mentor and she could clearly see the benefits of camp for James and Paula. “Jameson Camp gave Paula some time to herself while her son was in a safe and fun environment making friends and learning from great experiences that encourage team work, self-sufficiency and self-confidence,” she said.  “It’s been a win-win situation for mother and son!”

After attending summer camp for three years, James’ positive attitude caught the eye of Program Director Tim Nowak. “He was a great friend to all of his peers,” Tim said. “He looked out for others and helped when they were struggling and needed a good friend.” Currently James is in A.C.E. II of the Youth Leadership program. The two-level A.C.E. program offers campers the opportunity to serve on a team, strengthen decision-making skills and begin to explore what it means to be a leader through experiential learning. The teens participate in high adventure camping and wilderness opportunities such as canoeing, in-state camping, or backpacking trips. More info can be found here. For James, the opportunities of Youth Leadership have been like water helping his wings grow. “James is organized, prepared, and detail-oriented,” Tim said. “He is open-minded and understanding, constantly searching for ways to improve what he is doing.  We look forward to him continuing to move through Youth Leadership, high school, and towards a very bright future.”

Emotionally and socially, James has grown leaps and bounds since Paula took him in over nine years ago. “I’ve seen a lot of good changes,” she said. “Going to Jameson really helped because he’s been around all the positive people at camp as opposed to all the negative that he came out of.” The skills that James has gained from camp have translated well to his home life. One of his favorite activities at camp is culinary arts, through which he gained cooking skills he currently uses to prepare meals for the homeless every month. “He’s learned how to make better decisions for himself by watching the positive experiences of others,” Paula said. “That’s a big thing for kids at camps.”

Jameson Camp’s tagline is Get Outside. Grow Inside. James’ time at camp has been a picture perfect example of this. He’s gone from a shy follower to an outgoing leader. “Before I went to Jameson I was very quiet,” he said. “Now I’m more talkative. I can give other people advice because they gave me advice.” Camp has given James his wings and there is no limit to how high he can fly. For supporters of camp, James brings it all together with a heartfelt thank-you. “Jameson has helped me open up to people,” he said. “Thank you for helping me grow inside and out.”