My Nonprofit Reviews

My earliest memories of Snowbird were the incredible stories I heard from friends at my college who had worked a summer or two there. I had never heard of the camp before, and I must admit that the intensity they described in their experiences intimidated me. I ended up being recruited by a local camp know for it's tradition and connections to the wealthy in my hometown. I served at that camp for two summers with it's fancy buildings donated by rich, former campers and the attitudes of campers and staff who felt entitled and elite. Though I loved working with the kids and even running the traditional activities, I hated the destructive double-life of the summer staff and the effect it had on the kids as well as the confining feeling I had with little time off and even less bonding time with my campers.

To recover from my two summers at this camp I took a summer off before I allowed my friends to talk me into applying at Snowbird. I attended a friend's wedding there (she and her husband met at Snowbird), immensely enjoying they fellowship I was welcomed into, and then volunteered for a bicycle race fundraiser which remains one of my favorite Snowbird events even though it has been retired. I was intrigued by how different Snowbird was from my old camp. It wasn't polished around the edges but there was an honesty and integrity of the staff that was foreign and enticing to me. I filled out the lengthy application. It took me a week, and I still count it as one of the most educational experiences of my college career.

I then proceeded to spend the next four months fretting over being hardcore enough to work at a place so intense. I was told stories of how badly some people wanted to leave at first, and I was still wary from my last camp. I found the stories were true when I arrived. I wanted to leave. Training was intense and taxing. The staff was so committed and sacrifical in the way they approached the campers and their responsibilites. I was sure I couldn't make it, but I was told to stay because no one ever regretted staying. Brody said that over and over. He was right. At my old camp, I cried and counted the days until summer was over. At Snowbird, I was focused on my campers, on my next task, on the amazing way God was using a girl so incapable.

I have had the privilege of seeing the effect Snowbird has on it's campers. At my old camp, most of the campers get heavily involved in drugs and have issues with their attitude about school and life responsibilites. I have watched my Snowbird campers develop a maturity and confidence considered rare in America's youth. I know of two or three who are pursuing summer missions, and many who are flourishing in college. They heard was being teached at Snowbird and are benefiting from it and seeking to change the world. That's a cycle I am proud to be a part of.

Brody also brings the Snowbird staff into this cycle. We were expected to work hard and happily, to take responsibility and serve others. I attribute much of my success in my current employment to the attitude he taught us to have at camp. I work hard because it is the best thing and Snowbird taught me that. Brody tells us to finish well everything we start, to honor our parents while finding our own independence and purpose. He reminds us that as young adults we have to approach life with integrity and accountability. Even now when I make decisions, I want to be unafraid to share them with my campers and the Snowbird staff, the measure of which I was always reminded comes from God and not just the opinions of my peers. That's what I love about Brody. He never tells us what to do but how to go about the things we do.

I think the biggest thing that speaks about Snowbird is the loyalty of those who attend, work, and support the camp. Snowbird doesn't rely on a secret society kind of tradition to attract campers and garner donations. Many of Snowbird's supporters have not directly attended the camp but were moved by the reputation of the camp to be involved. Campers come back because they like who Snowbird helps them become, because they are intrigued by the passion of the counselors, because they find a home there. They are not intiated to club or given status for attending every year; they are simply welcomed as old friends and appreciated as unique individuals. And the staff come back over and over and over because they found a part of themselves at Snowbird and who they have become was a product of that discovery. They also return for the uncanny fellowship, the strange and clever shared humor, and the guidance that is offered by the rest of the Snowbird family.

You know, it seems strange to write about Snowbird. It's hard to explain. I wish you could visit. Then you'd you know.

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