From the Director’s Desk

I’ve written about how much I love the sounds of Camp, and how noticeable the quiet is once Summer Camp ends. That same stillness settles in during the winter months. Yes, we have guests on-site year-round, but it’s a calm, peaceful time at Camp.

All that changes in April.

We welcomed our first school groups during the week after Easter, and their visits will continue until May. Monday and Tuesday evenings are busy with after-school programming for area students, and weekends are filled with programs. That energy will carry us to mid-May, when we shift gears into Summer Camp staff training.

But April wasn’t just about welcoming guests; it was also about the incredible people who give their time to make Camp what it is. In April alone, 154 volunteers contributed more than 1,284 hours of service. That’s an amazing investment of time, and it makes a real difference in every camper’s experience. April is recognized as National Volunteer Month, and their contributions in the last month gave me a powerful reminder of just how essential volunteers are to everyone we serve.

Early in the month, volunteers helped bring our Spring Fling, which included the 16th Annual Trail Races and an Open House, to life by welcoming guests to Camp and sharing the beauty and Spirit of Ondessonk. Just a week later, during Stable Round-Up and Lodge Reunion Weekend, volunteers mobilized throughout Camp to tackle critical maintenance projects, prepare program areas, and reconnect with the place that means so much to them. You can read more about that in another article featured in this newsletter.

Many volunteers worked with our maintenance team to prepare cabins, paint, and take care of general upkeep, helping with the kind of work that often goes unseen but is critical to the Camp experience.

One especially impactful effort came from the Gateway Science Academy service-learning group, which took on the important work of eastern redcedar reclamation around the upper Chabanel sandstone glade complex. Not only does this effort help restore a unique natural ecosystem, but the reclaimed cedar will also be repurposed for future construction and Camp improvement projects. It was a great example of stewardship in action.

And the impact of our volunteers doesn’t stop after exiting the gate at the top of Ondessonk Road. Many continue to support our mission year-round through committee work, planning efforts, and remote projects that help strengthen our programs and outreach.

As we look ahead to Summer Camp, volunteers will once again play a vital role across all areas of Camp operations, supporting staff, enhancing programs, and helping create experiences that define Camp Ondessonk.

Then, on top of that, many of our volunteers don’t just give their time and talent.  They join Camp’s thousands of annual donors by making monetary and in-kind gifts.  Our campers are so very fortunate to have such comprehensive support.  It’s the kind of sustenance that other organizations dream about.

Because of every volunteer who has given their time, the quiet stillness of Camp reliably gives way to the sounds we all love year after year. If you give in this way, please know Camp Ondessonk wouldn’t be the same without you, and we are deeply grateful for all you do to keep its Spirit strong.

Please keep Camp Ondessonk in your life for the rest of your life. 

Sincerely, 

Click here to learn more about volunteering at Camp Ondessonk.