Volunteers Make Kids Kamp Great
Just a few years ago, Julian Shellenbarger was a Kids Kamper, eagerly awaiting the annual summer event that has been a highlight of D&HHS programming for many years now.
This summer the 14-year-old Northview schools student was back for Kamp, but this time as a volunteer, one of approximately 25 people who helped out with the weeklong festivities.
Julian said Kids Kamp was always one of many highlights for him as a young boy, adding that Signing Santa was especially memorable for him. To be back at Kamp as a helper was pretty cool, he added.
“It’s been fun,” he said. “I like to help with the children, yeah.”
Other volunteers also enjoyed the experience. Pam Howland has been involved with the Quota Club of Grand Rapids for almost two decades. And for many of those years she has been creating the craft kits that campers use for the annual D&HHS Kids Kamp, including this year making 150 such kits over the course of a couple of weeks and 22 hours.
But though she’d supported Kids Kamp from afar, she’d never had a chance to attend.
That changed this year when Howland spent a day helping Kamp as a volunteer. It was everything she hoped it would be she said.
“At Quota we get to make a difference in people’s lives,” she said. “To be here today and see the kids, to see how much they enjoy the crafts, to help out a little bit, this is what it’s all about.”
Volunteer Mandi Lehmann said the same.
She had three kids at Kamp this year, including one Deaf and two hearing daughters.
Their first year at Kamp was 2018, she said, and they even attended during the pandemic when D&HHS offered virtual camps.
“For all three (children), this is such a good experience,” she said. “It’s great exposure and great to have interaction with other Deaf and hearing kids. Lehmann noted that all three of her kids sign, as do she and her husband. In fact, she is nearly done with the Interpreter Training Program at Lansing Community College and after that she plans to test to be certified.
“A career as an interpreter was never anything I thought about,” she said. “My career was in sales and marketing. But when Harper (her oldest daughter) was diagnosed as Deaf, I decided to be a stay-at-home mom, and then as we learned ASL, working as an interpreter sort of presented itself.”
Another volunteer for the 2023 Kamp was Leah Kurlenda, a teacher at Northview schools through the Kent ISD program.
With a laugh she said she’s lost count of how many years she’s volunteered.
“So many years,” she said smiling. “Some of my students are here at this event, and I always think it’s nice for them to see a familiar face, so I keep showing up.”
D&HHS community partnerships manager Erica Chapin said Kurlenda’s dedication to Kamp, and her “keep showing up” dedication, is a fitting description of why D&HHS does Kids Kamp and other programming for kids and teens.
“It’s in our mission statement, on our website and at the heart of what we do,” she said. “We have been advocating for the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing in pursuit of all of life’s opportunities for more than 25 years as we work to support an inclusive and equitable community. Things like Kids Kamp are a big part of that, and we love this week with our kids and our volunteers a whole lot.”
Thank you to our Kids Kamp Sponsors!
