{"id":11047,"date":"2026-05-08T15:36:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T15:36:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salvationarmy.ca\/atlantic\/?p=11047"},"modified":"2026-05-08T16:16:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T16:16:00","slug":"how-moms-kids-camp-led-to-connection-and-a-new-career-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salvationarmy.ca\/atlantic\/2026\/05\/how-moms-kids-camp-led-to-connection-and-a-new-career-path\/","title":{"rendered":"How Moms & Kids Camp Led to Connection and a New Career Path"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This Mother\u2019s Day, we\u2019re celebrating women who nurture, support, and uplift communities. Melissa Noble has worked with The Salvation Army since 2023 and shared with us her experience with Moms & Kids Camp at Camp Starrigan in Newfoundland and Labrador.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her own words, Melissa shares how camp shaped her journey as a mother and led her to meaningful work within The Salvation Army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many years have you attended Moms & Kids Camp? How did you hear about it\/what made you want to go?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My kids and I have been attending since 2017.\u202f I was invited by a friend who attended the Mount Pearl Corps, and it sounded like a great opportunity. I was in the trenches of motherhood,\u202fwith my husband working away rotationally, and it seemed like an opportunity to breathe.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There were a few missed years along the way due to the pandemic, and I believe the age limited was lower than it is now. When I realized we could still attend with a 12-year-old, the kids opted to go back for a final year together. Last year, I attended with just my oldest for his last time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You mentioned that it was at a Moms & Kids Camp where you were inspired to make a career change to pursue social work\u2014tell us more about that experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being at camp gave me the chance I needed to consider my own needs while still feeling like I was doing something great for the kids. The sessions provided the structure to self-reflect, and the downtime with my friend helped me to process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had taken time away from work to care for the kids, and as they were becoming school-aged, I started to think about what that might mean for me. During one of the sessions,\u202fit struck me that the kind of work the facilitator was doing was the type of work that was calling to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I spoke to her after the session and realized she was a social worker. I told her about some of my career goals, and she helped me see that a social work path could provide that. I never would have considered social work without that conversation\u2014it was definitely a turning point for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How long have you worked with The Salvation Army? Tell us a bit about your journey to get to where you are today.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After graduating with my Bachelor of Social Work, I worked in a community organization doing frontline work, then with our provincial health authority in mental health and addictions counselling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2023, I was considering a move from health care back into community work and came across a posting for The Centre of Hope. I immediately thought about my experience at camp, which led me to submit an application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The moment I walked into the Centre, I felt like that was exactly where I belonged. Thankfully, I was the successful candidate. As I settled into the role, I was connected with Major Marlene George, who would be providing mentorship. I realized it was Marlene who had led me to social work back at camp! It truly felt like a full-circle moment where I could see God’s hand on my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just a few months ago, I moved from the Centre of Hope to the Wiseman Centre as Shelter Manager, both of which are under the umbrella of The Salvation Army St. John’s Housing and Community Services. While the work can be incredibly challenging at times, I absolutely love what I do.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten years ago, I never would have expected to be a social worker, much less a social worker with The Salvation Army, but that moment at camp was the catalyst for something better than I could have imagined for myself.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would you recommend The Salvation Army camping program, specifically Moms & Kids Camp?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would absolutely recommend Moms & Kids Camp. The kids are old enough now they can reflect on those experiences with nostalgia and it\u2019s a core memory for them. They both hope to attend Salvation Army camps on their own this year.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did Moms & Kids Camp connect you to your children and encourage you as a mother? If so, how?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Camp connected me with my kids because it gave us a shared experience we all looked forward to, and they could enjoy a new experience knowing I was not too far away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It encouraged me as a mother because it gave me the chance to see myself as both a mom and an individual. Now more than ever, so many moms are raising kids without feeling like they have a village. Camp provides a community of collective care, led by women, for women.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melissa Noble is a Shelter Manager at The Wiseman Centre in St. John\u2019s, NL.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are interested in learning more about Moms & Kids Camp, or other Salvation Army camping programs, please visit: https:\/\/salvationarmy.ca\/camps\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Janessa Hynes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This Mother\u2019s Day, we\u2019re celebrating women who nurture, support, and uplift communities. Melissa Noble has worked with The Salvation Army since 2023 and shared with us her experience with Moms & Kids Camp at Camp Starrigan in Newfoundland and Labrador. In her own words, Melissa shares how camp shaped her journey as a mother and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":11054,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-11047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-interest"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow Moms & Kids Camp Led to Connection and a New Career Path - Salvation Army Atlantic<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/salvationarmy.ca\/atlantic\/2026\/05\/how-moms-kids-camp-led-to-connection-and-a-new-career-path\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Moms & Kids Camp Led to Connection and a New Career Path - Salvation Army Atlantic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This Mother\u2019s Day, we\u2019re celebrating women who nurture, support, and uplift communities. 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