Giving Back Through Service

Jameson Camp’s mission is ‘To enrich the lives of Indiana youth by inspiring them to discover their strengths.’ These Indiana youth often come from disadvantaged backgrounds. They’re children who have faced more adversity in their young lives than many of us will ever know. When children overcome their obstacles and look back on how they made it, they often point to one person who inspired them. It could have been a family member or a teacher or a coach. Roche employee Bonnie Woodfork is one of those inspirational women who has found a way to give back to others.

Bonnie was born in Gary, Indiana. Like much of the city, Bonnie’s neighborhood was very depressed. She didn’t have many of the amenities that a lot of kids are accustomed to having today. Not only did Bonnie face challenges outside of her home, but there was a healthy dose of adversity inside as well. Born to a mother who was disabled from a car accident and unable to care for herself, Bonnie’s legal guardian was her aunt, whom she calls her ‘aunt-mom.’ The family didn’t have much money but they did the best with what they had. Unfortunately tragedy struck when Bonnie’s aunt-mom lost her husband. After that happened, her aunt-mom took a turn for the worse and was also unable to take care of herself.

Now, as an adult and with her legal guardian in need of care, Bonnie wanted to give back to the woman who had given her so much. To ensure her aunt-mom received the proper care, Bonnie wanted to apply for legal guardianship. She realized that this was her purpose, to be the ‘daughter’ her aunt-mom never had naturally. And by applying for adult guardianship, her life would come in full circle. Bonnie’s selfless act was not received well by other family members. The adversity of dealing with two parental figures in need of care was only magnified by family conflict. However, as a strong-willed woman, Bonnie overcame these obstacles. She said, “The upbringing that my aunt and biological mother gave me and the adversity I’ve faced having to care for them made me a better woman with a passion to help other people.”

Eventually Bonnie became the legal guardian of her aunt-mom and moved her from Gary to Indianapolis. Bonnie was able to keep watch over her aunt-mom when she moved her into a facility that was right down the street from where she worked. “It opened up so divinely,” she recalls. Bonnie was able to take care of her aunt-mom until she passed away in March 2015. With her biological mom’s passing previously in December 2014, Bonnie was again questioning her purpose. “When I was young, I often said that I didn’t know what I would do if I lost my mom and aunt-mom.” However, it came to Bonnie shortly after her aunt-mom’s passing that her purpose is to continue caring for people. Since then, Bonnie has been traveling on a path of giving back to others and looking for ways to serve as a role model for youth, in particular young women who may be facing some of the same struggles she has gone through.

Bonnie is a member of the Roche Diagnostics’ Women’s Leadership Initiative, where she learned of the board membership opportunity with Jameson Camp. Roche and Jameson Camp have a partnership that includes the annual Roche Children’s Walk so Bonnie decided to research the camp further. She spoke with fellow Roche employee and Jameson board member, John Sullivan, and learned that her personal mission to help youth in need and the camp’s mission were one and the same.

Most of the children that Jameson Camp serves come from disadvantaged backgrounds; 78% of the summer campers are eligible for free or reduced lunches. Additionally, 51% come to camp from single-parent households and 62% have been diagnosed with a disorder like ADHD or Autism. Jameson Camp is also the only camp in Indiana that offers a special summer session for children impacted by HIV/AIDS. The supportive environment Jameson provides to all the children it serves allows them to gain valuable social skills while experiencing the joys of being a youth. As someone who knows the importance of a supportive environment, Bonnie is doing her part to spread camp awareness. “We are ambassadors for the camp,” she said. “I’m often letting my friends, family and co-workers know about Jameson Camp. We want to spread the word to get people to volunteer or come out and visit the camp.”

For Bonnie, board membership is about giving back. “It’s about compassion and being a role model for young kids and supporting one of the most valuable programs in our community,” she said. From adverse childhood to responsible adulthood, Jameson Camp helps transform lives and Bonnie wants to be the ambassador to share its message. “To see these kids go from little and often troubled 7 year-olds to confident 18-year-olds is really inspiring,” she said. “Jameson helps make a difference in these kids’ lives. It gives them hope and the skills to pursue their goals. As board members, staff and volunteers, we need to carry the mission into the community and make people more aware of the impact this camp provides.”

Bonnie Woodfork personifies the desire to give back to the community that Roche strives to support and encourage. Way to go, Bonnie Woodfork.