My Nonprofit Reviews

In a word: amazing. The people you meet, the memories you make, the lives you reach out to... and it's not just for the kids. While our demographic of under-served youth in Los Angeles truly benefit from a week up at camp away from city life, the volunteers gain so much from the experience as well. I remember my first year as a volunteer when I drove a group of kids to the lake for a day of sailing. One of them told me he would try really hard to do well in school so that he could go to UCLA and be a camp counselor just like us. For one week, the kids and counselors can be whoever they want to be - that's why we choose camp names. They spend time in the great outdoors with more exposure to nature than Los Angeles could ever offer. And my favorite part of being a specialist - you help these kids set goals and push them to go just a little bit further. The Alpine Tower is a 50-foot-tall challenge course, and as the kids climb, they are belayed, guided, and encouraged by the specialist. I had one boy who only wanted to go to the halfway point, which is fine. Once he was there, I asked him if he wanted to try going up a little more. And then a little more. Before I knew it, he was climbing onto the highest platform overlooking the campsite and the San Bernardino mountains beyond. He was incredulous at having reached the top, and the wide smile on his face just made all of the training and days of not showering completely worth it.

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