The Leisure in Fun Environments (LIFE) Sun & Fun Camp program is in full swing, and youth are enjoying a parent-free week full of their favourite activities. From chef to swim camp, attendees gain new experiences and create lasting memories at one of the few Manitoba day camps dedicated to youths living with a physical, cognitive or developmental disability.
As Sun & Fun Camp is catered towards Rehabilitation Centre for Children clients who live with a disability, each camper is paired with a Recreation Support Worker (RSW) or “camp buddy”. These workers spend the week providing care for their assigned camper, enabling them to participate in activities that expend energy, engage in sensory experiences as well as learn to use various adaptive equipment each day.
For some RSWs, their involvement began with a sibling who attended Sun & Fun Summer Camp, sparking their curiosity about how they could contribute more to our province’s disability community.
“At a Sun & Fun Summer Camp my brother attended, a former staff member mentioned the opportunity to become a RSW. At that time, I wasn’t old enough to join, but I knew I would love the opportunity because I have a passion for working with this population,” said Alicia Hebert, third-year RSW. “Witnessing how past team members positively influenced my brother’s life, encouraging him to connect with other staff and campers living with disabilities, was inspiring. I knew I wanted to be a part of it.”
To make the camp experience as enjoyable as possible for the attendees, RSWs are carefully selected by the experienced LIFE Program team and undergo a week-long orientation. This training equips them with effective and compassionate approaches to meet the campers’ needs. As the summer progresses, RSWs often develop additional skills beyond those initially taught during orientation.
“As a Camp Counselor I have learned many life skills like patience and emotional regulation,” said Avery Mason, first-year RSW. “You need to have empathy to understand the camper’s needs, but you also need to keep your own emotions in check and try to radiate a positive and calming energy to your camper and other participants.”
Given the demand the camp program has received over the years, one veteran RSW remarks on the growth.
“It’s crazy because I’ve been around for a while and the Sun & Fun Camp has expanded so much since I started,” said Antonio Guerra, seventh-year RSW. “We now have camps at different locations like Selkirk, offer different camp themes and have 61 RSWs this summer. To see how much it’s grown, it’s incredible!”
The LIFE Program’s Sun & Fun Summer Camp is fully funded by generous donors to Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation. If you would like to support LIFE Programming, including the Sun & Fun Summer camp, you can give at crf.mb.ca.