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Growing Karis Family Camps Through Church Partnerships
Family Camp is an example of our core values in action: valuing people, fostering belonging, serving others, and celebrating gifts. With a one-on-one volunteer and lots of additional support, family members with disabilities get to safely try new things while self-directing their week or weekend. Parents and siblings who are caregivers to their family member with a disability also get to relax and feel the support that Karis Family Camp provides.
"I go to Family Camp to renew and to refresh, to let go of some things that I need to let go of," shared Lynne, mother of Elizabeth, an adult with autism. "My daughter doesn't have a lot of language, but come May, she starts asking me about Family Camp."
Karis used to host three regular Family Camps: a week-long camp in the summer and two weekend camps in the winter, all in Ontario. After standardizing volunteer training, budget planning, and registration, we've been able to grow and offer Family Camps in new places, serving more families who urgently need respite.
One of our newest Family Camps was hosted at Muskoka Bible Centre through a connection with Pastor Marshal at Harvest Church in Huntsville, ON. Against the snowy backdrop of beautiful, scenic Mary Lake, campers and volunteers spent a weekend worshipping together, snow tubing, doing arts and crafts, and finding moments of peace.
"There is a place to belong and a place to be in community here," said Pastor Marshal.
Pastor Marshal spent his weekend walking alongside Karis Family Camp, leading chapel services each morning and the caregiver sessions that followed. Pastor Marshal shared that his favourite part of Family Camp was seeing families worship together in a new way that felt "free and fun."
We ended that weekend at Harvest Church in Huntsville, joining the congregation in Sunday worship and fellowship. Through our continued partnership, we will regularly host a winter Family Camp in Muskoka each year, and will faithfully work with church partners to serve more people.
Learn more about Karis Family Camps in Ontario and Saskatchewan - volunteer, register, or donate!