Camp Hope helps at-risk children
Tina Whitehead has spent much of her summer coordinating efforts to send area youths to Camp Hope, located at Jumonville, the United Methodist training center off Route 40 in North Union Township. And it’s definitely been a summer to remember, according to Whitehead.
“I can’t begin to tell you all the positive reactions we get from the children. This is so much fun for them. They enjoy themselves so much,’ said Whitehead.
The camp, in its second year of existence, was provided free of charge for at-risk children. It lasted for six weeks from the beginning of June until the middle of July.
“The first year there were 25 to 30 children, by the end of this year we’ll have had about 70 children,” said Whitehead.
“They enjoy the camp so much, they talk about it all year long,’ she added.
Whitehead, a member of Calvary United Methodist Church, became involved with the camp while recruiting sponsors for a backpack program. Sponsors paid $25 to provide each camper with a backpack filled with toiletries.
Her husband, the Rev. Tom Whitehead, is the pastor for the church and along with raising funds for the camp, they provided transportation for the children back and forth to the camp.
Camp Hope originally was called Camp Angel Tree and was intended for children with a parent in prison. But its focus soon changed to include any child living in poverty.
“After the first year, word spread about the camp. Soon I had everyone calling me,” said Whitehead.
“I’ve spent some time recruiting kids from the after-school programs and have had kids call me, wanting to attend,’ she added.
This year the camp program was lengthened to six weeks, and Jumonville built two cabins to accommodate the campers.
The campers, ages 6 to 15, take part in a number of activities, including swimming, hiking, wall climbing, crafts, and Bible study.
“These children don’t have a lot of structure in their lives. The camp gives them the structure they need,” Whitehead noted. “The counselors, usually college students, are so special and do so much for the kids.”
Whitehead said she and her husband also hope to start a camp scholarship program in memory of Kadeem Chisler, a former camper who died after being hit by a car in Uniontown last May.
His photo was on the cover of memorial Bibles funded through the Scott Gnagey Memorial Bible Fund. Ironically Scott Gnagey died in a car accident 25 years ago at the age 15. Nancy and Jim Gnagey, the parents of Scott Gnagey, paid to distribute the Bibles as a memorial to their son.
The Bibles were distributed to each camper at three United Methodist camps in western Pennsylvania this summer, including Camp Hope. Nancy Gnagey was also Kadeem’s prayer partner for the two years he attended the After School Kids program at Calvary United Methodist Church.
Whitehead said Kadeem and his brother Chris were her “connections in the community” when they started the after-school program at her church two years ago. She said the brothers were able to get 26 kids at the church on the first day. After that, the boys started attending Sunday school, Whitehead said.
“He was a very sweet spirit and gentle kid,” she said. “Kadeem was a special child, he was the reason we got involved in this project,” added Whitehead.