Parents and Children Benefit from Salvation Army Camps
As students get ready to leave their books behind and prepare for summer break, parents start thinking about how to keep their children occupied and supervised. Summer camps offered by The Salvation Army across the country serve as an affordable solution.
The Salvation Army’s Pine Lake Camp, located near Red Deer, Alta., offers a variety of camps that take place throughout the summer.
“The aim is to give children an opportunity to come to camp and have a safe and positive environment where they get healthy food, lots of different programs and physical activity,” says Major Sheldon Bungay, divisional children and youth secretary for the Prairies and Northern Territories Division.
“The children learn new skills that they take home, whether it is learning how to cook and bake or how to put chains on bicycles or build a birdhouse.”
Archery is one of many activities offered at camp
The most popular camps, holiday camp and teen camp, offer similar activities. These include life-skills training such as cooking lessons, as well as physical activities like rock climbing, swimming, canoeing, archery, and pottery. Additionally, there is a spiritual teaching component. All the activities are tailored to be age-appropriate for each group.
“The children learn new skills that they take home, whether it is learning how to cook and bake or how to put chains on bicycles or build a birdhouse,” Major Bungay adds.
An additional benefit for parents is that Pine Lake Camp offers a secure and cost-effective environment for their children during the school break.
“The big thing that sets us apart from other camping programs is that we offer a very affordable experience, which alleviates financial strain. When parents are either working or have other things on their schedules and their children are not in school, we give them a positive camping opportunity,” Major Bungay says.
In recent years, Pine Lake Camp has seen an increase in campers who are new to Canada. This has motivated the camp’s staff to navigate through language barriers, engage and help these children feel welcome.
“The big thing that sets us apart from other camping programs is that we offer a very affordable experience, which alleviates financial strain.”
Overall, it doesn’t matter where the campers come from. The staff’s goal remains the same, to make a positive impact on the lives of the children they encounter.
“This is a place where we do our best to offer love and compassion to children. Who knows, maybe they could come back to camp as future camp staff members.”
By Juan Romero
