How Summer Camp Changed a Life

Tom Morrison had mixed feelings about going to summer camp. Little did he know the experience would take his life in a direction he never would have imagined.

“When I was six my parents sent me to The Salvation Army’s camp in Jackson’s Point, Ont., to get rid of me for a week,” Tom laughs. “My heart thumped nervously and I missed home, but non-stop fun and cool counsellors drew me in. I came back for several years.”

Personal Growth

There was more to camp than just fun and games. Rock climbing and three-day canoe trips taught Tom the value of teamwork; spending five days and nights with the same group of kids developed his empathy for others; building campfires and eating over them gave him a sense of independence and confidence.

Tom wanted to share his experiences with campers that followed him, and became a cabin counsellor. Here he was challenged by the harsh realities of poverty.

“I remember one camper who appeared with no other clothes than the shorts and T-shirt he was wearing, a knapsack that held a few pencils and crayons, and a toothbrush.”

New Direction

Tom had aspirations to be a Chef but, after witnessing poverty firsthand at camp, he now wanted to help shape the lives of children affected by it. He moved to Regent Park, a neighborhood located in downtown Toronto that is Canada’s oldest and largest social housing project.

Through organizations like The Salvation Army, Tom teaches kids that, despite challenges, they can create and achieve goals. He is studying child and youth work at community college and is returning to summer camp as head counsellor.

“Camp taught me to think about others and tap into their hopes and dreams,” says Tom. “For me, that’s what really matters.”

For more information on Salvation Army camps, click here.