Brian

Brian was raised by a single mom who tried her best to give her son all the support he needed growing up. Money was always tight so Moorelands Camp, which sets fees on a sliding scale according to income, offered an important and affordable opportunity for Brian and he attended camp every year until he was 18 years old.

Although good natured and kind, Brian had ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder) and was constantly in trouble at school and in his neighbourhood. He had little impulse control and the hyperactivity made it difficult for him to settle or concentrate. Moorelands Camp was a good fit for Brian. With lots of physical activity every day and supported by trained staff, Brian learned new coping skills and developed confidence as he overcame obstacles.

When he was 16 Brian participated in Moorelands Camp's Skills and Leadership program and at 17 he became a Camp Cabin Leader. He was wonderful with the younger kids and soon realized that he wanted to become a teacher more than anything else in the world. We've stayed in very close touch with Brian. He recently finished Teachers College and he included Moorelands as one of his job references. Recently, Brian was offered his fist job as a teacher with the Nippissing school board. After years at Moorelands Camp, Brian came to love the north so much he decided that was where he wanted to live.

Jamie

For 13 year old Jamie, Moorelands Camp is a refuge. Responsible for his two younger siblings after school every day as well as many evenings and weekends, Jamie carries a big load at home. He gets dinner started every night and makes sure his little brother and sister do their homework. His Mom works shifts and has come to depend on Jamie's help. "It's not easy raising 3 kids on your own especially when your ex-husband misses so many child support payments" explains Jamie's Mom.

At Moorelands Camp, Jamie can concentrate on just being a kid. "He gets to play basketball, swim, canoe, be with kids his own age, and have fun. He loves it at Moorelands and I love that he gets to forget about all the adult responsibilities he takes on at home."

Latasha

16 year old Latisha says Moorelands Camp changed her life. "If I had my way, every inner-city Toronto kid would go to Moorelands Camp!"

"I've been going to Moorelands camp since I was 9 years old. I'm almost seventeen now and the kids and Counsellors are like a second family to me. At camp you're given the chance to work things out with people. In the Skills and Leadership Training program (SALT) you get to do things like canoe trips, rock climbing, cliff diving, really challenging stuff. You learn to work as a team and you learn about anger management, something I had a bit of a problem with. You learn that there are steps to take before getting angry. I learned not to yell, that there are other options. I guess you learn how to communicate properly. I learned to open-up and the kids around me saw that and opened-up too."

"There is plenty of opportunity to get into trouble in the city - drugs, gangs, crime, its everywhere. Moorelands taught me that there is an alternative. I feel good about myself and where I'm going and I owe so much of that to Moorelands. There's no way we could have afforded to go away to camp, it has made such a positive impact on my life."

"Moorelands is much more than summer camp. I stay connected with my friends from camp all year round. We share a common experience, we're all making the best of what we have and we're staying out of trouble!"

Katie's story as told by Melissa

"I knew from the very first lesson, that this would not be an easy group of girls to work with, said Melissa, a Moorelands Camp swimming instructor, speaking about an 11-year-old girl named Katie and her cabin mates. "They didn't want to take direction and were not used to working cooperatively with others. As the week progressed I didn't see any improvement in the girls' attitudes. They balked at the idea of working in partners to solve problems and would never dare to show weakness."

"On the second last day of camp, I it was time to learn how to do a kneeling dive. One by one the girls tried it, and with much success. That is, until it was Katie's turn. 'Alright Katie, why don't you give it a try, just kneel down, squeeze your ears with your arms, finger tips together and point to the treasure at the bottom of the lake...' She looked up at me with terror in her eyes. "I can't," she whispered. Tears were beginning to escape her."

"Come on Katie, I know that you can do it. Let's give it a go."

"No," she said, "I'll hit my head...I'll get hurt...I can't do it." I could see how afraid she was and I wasn't going to push her anymore. But I wasn't the only one who noticed the fear on her face and in her voice. "Come on Katie! You can totally do it!" "Just give it a try, we know you can!"

I could not believe my ears. These girls were rallying around and encouraging her. "Here Katie, you can borrow my lifejacket." Another climbed out and took her hand. "I'll dive with you if you want Katie."

"Without even realizing it, these girls were demonstrating one of the most precious things that I experienced at camp. They were working together. They were encouraging each other. They were putting aside their differences and genuinely caring for one another.

I knelt down next to Katie. "So? What do you say; do you want to try it?"

"Yes," she said. "I want to try." And with that Katie knelt down, squeezed her ears with her arms and pointed to the treasure at the bottom of the lake. Cheers erupted from the girls and I'm not sure I've ever seen a little girl smile such a huge smile. These were not the 7 tough girls that came into my class at the beginning of the week. After experiencing Moorelands Camp, these 7 girls had made real connections with each other and they had a new confidence in themselves."

And that is what Moorelands is all about - helping kids develop competence, confidence, character and make positive connections with peers and adults.