Salvation Army Holiday Camp Helps Participants Develop Social and Outdoor Skills

When Michelle Khoury saw an advertisement for Salvation Army summer camps in B.C., she decided to ask her son Francis, 8, if he wanted to join. Francis excitedly agreed.

Since enrolling, Michelle has noticed that the activities at Camp Sunrise have helped her son gain confidence, as well as a few other skills.

“My son has ADHD and mild autism. When he came back from camp last year, he was a different kid, in a good way. He was very confident in himself. His hand-eye coordination also improved,” Michelle shared.

The social aspect of camp is what Michelle likes the most. As she considers herself a homebody, she felt that Francis maybe hadn’t had the chance to socialize much with other children outside of school. Since he began attending camp, Francis has built some nice friendships along the way.

“The social aspect of camp really helped my son out. He made really good friends and some of them went with him again this year,” Michelle added.

Francis and his friend, Ethan, leave for camp

The current summer program Francis is enrolled in is Camp Sunrise’s Holiday Camp. This camp is a week long and is open to children between the ages of 7 and 12. At this camp, participants take part in a variety of outdoor activities.

“The social aspect of camp really helped my son out.”

Since Francis joined Holiday Camp, the Khoury family has become more involved with The Salvation Army. They now attend church services weekly, while Francis attends a children’s program that teaches participants about Jesus. In addition, Francis is also enrolled in Music Camp.

Aside from the developmental benefits, Michelle also admits the affordability of the program can be very helpful for families.

“If it wasn’t for The Salvation Army camp, considering the cost of how much summer camps cost now, he’d probably be home all summer long. Salvation Army camps offer financial support too. If a parent needs a bit of financial support, they can help cover some of the costs, so it doesn’t become a financial burden, and not all camps do that,” Michelle said.

“I’m grateful he’s had the opportunity to go and try new things. Extremely grateful.”

Looking forward, Michelle expects Francis to continue coming back to camp every summer, and perhaps even become a cabin leader in his late teens.

“I’m grateful he’s had the opportunity to go and try new things. Extremely grateful,” Michelle said.

By Juan Romero