Camp Courageous of Iowa
byThis morning we headed out to Camp Courageous of Iowa, a year-round respite and recreational facility and a very special place in the hearts of many.
Camp Courageous was founded in 1972 when forty acres of land was donated for the sole purpose of establishing a camp for the disabled. In 1973 five buildings were built from donated labor and materials. By 1974 the camp was ready for its first campers, which totaled 211. Today the camp is open year-round, has over 150 acres of land with 14 buildings, and annually serves over 5,000 campers, ranging in age from 1 to 105. [Camp Courageous]
Today we met with staff, talked about social media (check out their blog or follow them on Twitter) and learned more about the great work Camp is doing. We then got a tour of some of the facilities (mostly the indoor ones since it’s darn cold outside).
Most of the amenities, supplies, buildings, and even the miniature train/railway were donated. “Camp Courageous was built and continues to operate on donations, without government assistance, without formal sponsorship, and without paid fund-raisers.” [History]
Camp Courageous is for anyone with a disability (“vision, mental, physical and other disabilities are typical of the individuals served.”) It’s run by staff and volunteers who keep things running smoothly and most of all, make sure that every camper is cared for and has the time of their life – from swimming, canoeing, accessible playgrounds, farm animals, pets, arts, and the celebration of each unique individual that comes by.
Having spent many summers at camp in BC when I was younger as a camper and volunteer, I know that the effects a facility like this can have on a child are pretty remarkable.
If you’re looking for a non-profit to support, please check out Camp Courageous of Iowa, whether you’d like to contribute funds, equipment, in-kind donations, sponsorships, or simply your time.
The rest of my photos from Camp can be found in my Flickr set.
3 Comments — Comments Are Closed
you’re photo quality is impressive. 🙂
There is a similar facility located on B.C. soil.
http://www.zajacranch.com/
It’s great that camps like Courageous and Zajac run programs for children with like illnesses and disabilities so the kids can be around others who face the same challenges in day-to-day life. I know that at Zajac the children are provided with hospital-level 24-hour care from doctors, nurses, and counselors while their parents receive a much-needed break from worrying about their child.
If you have the chance to save a few pull-tabs from pop or beer cans before you take them back to recycle, send them to the Zajac Fountation: they melt the metal and extract the aluminum as a means of raising funds.
You can often rent parts or all of facilities like these in their off-season, which is another great way of directing profits that might otherwise feed into a corporation like a hotel or convention centre to more meaningful foundations that contribute to society.
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Thanks, Rebecca!
[…] some information however, having recently returned from our Iowa trip at the time (and our visit to Camp Courageous) I thought a personal visit to the DDA to learn more would be ideal — and the least I could […]