CAMP JAKE :: St. Paul's Music Director Goes To Haiti

Dr. Caroline Carson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


July 3, 2012: Dr. Caroline Carson (pictured below), Director of Music at St. Paul’s Episcopal and Director of Choral Studies at The University of New Orleans, has the chance of a lifetime this July 2012. While she has traveled internationally and taught overseas in academic situations, Caroline jumped at the opportunity to go to and make a difference in the lives of others in a non- tourist location: Port-au-Prince, Haiti with the Red Thread Promise (www.redthreadpromise.org ). She applied and was accepted.


Why Haiti? Moving to New Orleans after Katrina and seeing the city re-grow over the past six years has helped her witness what a determined community can do with each others’ help. Working at St. Paul’s Episcopal for the past four years and volunteering with The Homecoming Center’s seniors program has shown her many opportunities for service and introduced her to the movers and shakers of service in New Orleans. After Caroline learned about the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, she heard about The Red Thread Promise's work there. She wanted to do something....so she and the members of Inconspicuous 8, a local professional women’s choir, gave a benefit concert for the organization and its work. Since that time, she has kept a close eye on happenings in Haiti and approached Kathy Korge Albergate (President of The Red Thread Promise) and her husband, Rev. Dr. Scott Albergate (rector of St. Paul’s) about applying for the trip this July. Caroline is the second person from St. Paul’s to go to Haiti with the organization. The first was Mr. John Joseph, Sexton of St. Paul’s, in January 2011. In talking to Caroline about the trip, she says: “I’m absolutely thrilled to go and I know our team will have a blast with the kids. I believe it’s equally important to put your time where your mouth is when you say you want to make a difference...and I believe volunteering is something we all need to try and find time for.”


Camp Jake is an annual summer camp designed to meet the special needs of handicapped children from the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The team consists of 16 counselors and one photographer who will be working with 44 campers—who are blind, deaf or non-ambulatory - for a week on the Haitian coast. The children are from St. Vincent’s Center for Handicapped Children. The camp removes physical and emotional barriers, giving participating children the chance to engage in creative arts, as well as physical and social activities under the supervision of a team of volunteer counselors, artists, musicians, mentors and healthcare professionals. Photo at left of Diana in her new all terrain wheelchair donated by Episcopal Church Women across the US.


"The concept for Camp Jake was inspired by my 13-year-old nephew, Jacob Richard, who suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a degenerative terminal illness,” said Tom Landry II, director of Camp Jake and a member of The Red Thread board. “Our camp will bring Jacob's selfless, energetic spirit to the orphaned children of St. Vincent's. We believe every child deserves the most life has to offer, regardless of disability, class, race or circumstance. Camp Jake will assure that physical limitations are left behind and replaced with endless opportunities for emotional and physical development in a fun-filled atmosphere."


ABOUT THE RED THREAD PROMISE
The Red Thread Promise (TRTP) is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide hope and healing for needy and orphaned children—children who have no one to advocate for them and cannot advocate for themselves. Our program exists to improve the quality of life for these children. We provide them with the treatment they need so that they can each lead a life with dignity, health and hope. Find us online at www.redthreadpromise.org. Follow us on Facebook: The Red Thread Promise or on Twitter: Red Thread Promise.

CAMP JAKE :: Color Them Beautiful

Counselors building relationships with campers 

CAMP JAKE / July 2012 :: In addition to physical, art and music therapy as well as multiple opportunities for physical activity, another goal of Camp Jake is to instill a strong sense of self-worth into each and every camper. This is especially critical in Haiti, where those with handicaps live in a part of the world that scorns those with physical limitations and often turns them into social outcasts. The sharp looks, long stares, ridicule and neglect can slowly creep into your being, diminishing your self-respect, and cause you to believe that you really are a second-class citizen.


The Red Thread Promise vehemently rejects this treatment of physically-challenged people, both young and old alike. Our goal is to make sure that each camper knows:

• how valued they are as human beings
• how loved they are by our team
• how critical it is to love themselves for who they are

Our team treats campers with respect in a supportive environment throughout camp. They encourage campers to become more independent, teaching them how to successfully accomplish things for themselves. We talk to campers about their hopes and dreams and encourage them to work toward those goals. Camp Jake is not only about fun and learning, but also about nurturing and developing personal skills that will allow campers to progress into adulthood with the fundamentals necessary to live independent, successful and fulfilling lives.


Personal Hygiene
We all understand the value of keeping a clean body - not only from a physical aspect, but also to nourish a sense of self-respect and personal pride. At each camp, we will continue to teach the importance of personal hygiene, give a variety of products to each camper as well as ample instruction for their use. Included in kits are: a toothbrush, large tube of toothpaste, dental floss, Chapstick, personal wash cloth, full-size bar of soap and deodorant. It is a humbling experience to give these personal care kits to such grateful people. Their gratitude and thankful hearts are an inspiration to those of us who often take these simple things for granted.

Diana with her personal care kit and a snack

Dieumene helping Elisme apply Chapstick with her feet

Just a few of this year's personal care kits

Thank you to Kimmie (our young supply drive queen) and the women of Peace United Methodist Church for their donations of products to fill these bags. And a big thank you to counselor Laura for assembling the kits.


Relaxation
In what turned out to be a very successful program during our first camp, we offered an evening of spa treatments to campers. The team transformed one of the camp rooms into a spa-like suite, surrounding participants with soothing music, ambient lighting and a space absent of the spoken voice. Each interested camper was given a facial, massage and optional manicure.

Kelly showing Danika how to give Oxilus a massage

Sienna and Petera giving Solomon a facial and hand massage

This new experience was extremely profound for the participants. Their relaxation was so deep that many fell asleep during the treatment, murmuring in their dreams. Some left in tears, sharing how special they felt and how they were more relaxed than they ever recalled. These strong emotions confirmed for us the importance of relaxation and its healing qualities that far surpass the current popularity of spa treatments. We will work to teach the campers how to perform these tasks themselves, enabling them to enhance their own lives and the lives of others. 

Sonya, Siena and Kelly running the nail salon

The Red Thread Promise would like to thank Neill Corporation, the worlds largest distributor of Aveda products, for their support of this program and their generous donation of essential oils and lotions. We are grateful to Kathy and Fr. Scott Albergate for bottles of nail polish in every color imaginable. 

Yes, we still need your help! If you are interested in contributing to any part of Camp Jake, donations can be made via check or online. Please be sure to mark the memo line with "Camp Jake". For electronic donations, please use the PayPal button located on the right sidebar. If you prefer snail mail, our mailing address is at the top of the page on the right. No donation is too small and everything is appreciated.


Thank you!

CAMP JAKE :: Promoting Active Lifestyles

CAMP JAKE / July 2012 :: It is amazing how quickly time goes by. In only 2 days, our team travels to Haiti to host the second session of Camp Jake. Physical activity is a huge part of our programming for the campers. The variety of activities that promote an active lifestyle are as varied as the children and tailored to their individual abilities.


Physical Therapy
During our many interactions with students from St. Vincent's Center for Handicapped Children, we have noted the strong connection between them. Not only are they friends and extended family, but they are one another's helpers, providing assistance and guidance in various tangible ways. 

• We observed the blind pushing the wheelchairs of their non-ambulatory friends.
• We saw the deaf being the hands and feet of students with missing limbs.
• We noted those with no limbs interpreting for the deaf. 
• We saw older campers providing direction to younger campers about safety.

All of these heart-warming sights amazed us, demonstrating the pronounced emotional and physical bonds that these students have with one another. 


These observations led us to partner with Physicians for Peace to engage a physical therapist for camp to teach campers and caregivers alike new exercises that can be utilized on a day-to-day basis, with or without a physical therapist. These exercises will help individuals care for themselves as well as their fellow campers, building muscle strength and increasing mobility. We are thrilled that Jacob, a PT from Virginia, will be on-hand for the week to provide small group and one-on-one training sessions.

Aquatics
We had no idea how important aquatics would become to Camp Jake until our first camp. For many participants, this was their first exposure to a pool or the ocean. Some were fearful while others were cautious but willing to try. After some work with the counselors and much encouragement, campers began to establish a comfort level with the water and their interest in swimming blossomed. We plan to capitalize on this enthusiasm and offer additional aquatics opportunities in the upcoming camp.

Moise enjoying his first dip in the water

Since water has so many therapeutic qualities, it is our goal to encourage campers to continue their exploration of both the pool and ocean, while maintaining the safest environment possible. Often times, part of this engagement is simply teaching them how to float on their backs without fear or how to walk on the ocean floor.

Matt helping the blind get accustomed to the water

Matt, Assistant Camp Director, will be spearheading the water activities during Camp. Among his many jobs, he will review water safety rules and procedures during the counselor training and will enforce the rules with campers throughout the week.

A spontaneous game of soccer

Sports
Many lessons were learned during the first camp when we brought every sport known to man for campers to try. After much exploration, we discovered which activities readily engaged the campers and which brought maximum benefit. For this session, we have narrowed our scope to include basketball, soccer, volleyball, jump rope, beach ball and bocce ball in addition to water sports. Our new exploration will be to gauge how much physical activity can be done in the summer Haitian heat!


A big thank you to members of the Tulane University Athtletics Department who have donated baseball hats, t-shirts and sweat bands for the campers. These items will be put to good use!

Yes, we still need your help! If you are interested in contributing to the physical programs or any part of Camp Jake, donations can be made via check or online. Please be sure to mark the memo line with "Camp Jake". For electronic donations, please use the PayPal button located on the right sidebar. If you prefer snail mail, our mailing address is at the top of the page on the right. No donation is too small and everything is appreciated.


Thank you!

CAMP JAKE :: Be Part Of The Art

Kellie, the art therapist, surrounded by (left to right) Elisme, Evenson and Mackinson,
some of our sight-impaired friends from St. Vincent's

CAMP JAKE / July 2012 :: With only 3 days left until our team leaves for Port-au-Prince, we wanted to share some of the exciting things in store for our campers this coming week. The focus of this post is creative arts and music.


Art Therapy
Building off the strengths of the January session in which campers created life-size self-portraits on canvas, Kelly--our senior counselor and certified Creative Arts Therapist--will once again direct this portion of the camp. With her outgoing personality, Kelly established a great repore with the campers in January, which will allow her to engage with them in a comforting manner for a new multi-dimensional project. 

Danika (foreground), Oxilus (center) and Clarissian (background) 
working on their life-size self-portraits

In addition to artwork utilizing watercolors and crayons, she plans to introduce sculpture by way of casting each camper's face in plaster. We are more than excited that this activity will not only engage our sighted campers, but also allow the visually-impaired to experience the artwork. Throughout the project, Kelly will compare the multiple masks we wear as humans on a daily basis and the cultural uses for masks. 

Another aspect of creative arts will be card-making. During our trip to St. Vincent's in May, some of the campers expressed their interest in helping to raise money for the camp themselves. They suggested learning to make greeting cards and having The Red Thread Promise sell them to help fund future camps. We have decided to take them up on their offer and engage them in the building of Camp Jake! Stay tuned for the opportunity to purchase some of the camper's artwork.

Some of Sonya's Zentangles

Finally, Sonya plans to introduce the art of Zentangle to campers. According to the originators of this unique art form, "Zentangle is a fun and relaxing way of creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns that nearly anyone can do. It increases focus and creativity while providing artistic satisfaction along with an increased sense of personal well being." Designs are created on small pieces of watercolor paper with a simple pencil, pen and smudge stick. We look forward to sharing these mini-masterpieces with you!


Music
Following the January session, we realized how intregal music is in the lives of many of our campers, especially the sight-impaired. Those campers were drawn to any sort of music on the campsite and relished the times when a radio was available. We discovered that even the deaf children thoroughly enjoyed music, as they are able to feel vibrations and dance to visual sound. They felt compelled to move to their own beat, one of our fondest memories of the January session.

Counselors Caroline, Andrew and Casey all bring a wealth of music knowledge and experience to Camp Jake. Their passion for music is infectious and we know the campers will love them! The trio will offer various activities that include singing and using musical instruments, some of which may be foreign to the campers. 

And, of course, we'll be bringing along the video camera to catch some of this music so we can share it with you.

Yes, we still need your help! If you are interested in contributing to the art programs or any part of Camp Jake, donations can be made via check or online. Please be sure to mark the memo line with "Camp Jake". For electronic donations, please use the PayPal button located on the right sidebar. If you prefer snail mail, our mailing address is at the top of the page on the right. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

Thank you!

Children supporting children

Books are a cherished possession to children and adults alike in developing countries. This photo was taken along the streets of Port-au-Prince during one of our trips in 2011. This dedicated student continued his studies in the pathways snaking through a tent city, making the best of his personal circumstances. His determination to learn and become the best he can be is truly an inspiration to us all.

Kids in the US also inspire us with their kind hearts as they work together for the good of others. And in central Ohio, this is certainly the case.

For the second year in a row, children at Columbus Montessori Education Center raised money to provide for their peers in Haiti. A group of sixteen 4th, 5th and 6th graders sold pizza, held bake sales and embarked on their annual read-a-thon to fund their end-of-the-year class trip. The group far exceeded their goal and the students decided to donate a portion of the proceeds back to their alma mater as well as to a charity that the class selected.

We are honored to be the recipients of their generous spirits again in 2012. TRTP Vice President, Sonya, was on hand to receive a check from Diane, the class room parent, on the last day of school.

Sonya and Diane

And what better way to use school funds than to buy books for another school?

St. Vincent's Center for Handicapped Children's library was a complete loss after the earthquake of 2010. Thankfully, new shelves have been built in the current location and donations are coming in to purchase books in Kreyol, French and Braille to fill them.

With books ranging from $5 - $10 each, Columbus Montessori's donation of $250, matched by The Red Thread's donation of $250, will be able to fill a few of those empty shelves!

If you, your child's school, your company or anyone you know might like to be involved in the education of physically challenged children in Haiti, we encourage you to help The Red Thread purchase additional books for the students of St. Vincent's.

Donations can be made via check or online. Please be sure to mark the memo line with "St. Vincent's books". For electronic donations, please use the PayPal button located on the right sidebar. If you prefer snail mail, our mailing address is at the top of the page on the right.

Help put smiles on the faces of St. Vincent's students who will benefit from your gifts.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Jake and Stephanie, aka Mom!

Many of you know that Camp Jake is named in honor of Jake Richard, the vibrant nephew of Tom, our Camp Director. Jake has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and it was his dream to begin a camp for handicapped kids.


DMD is a serious disease that affects all muscles in the body, including the heart. This is most commonly seen when those affected are in their late teens and early 20s.

Jake during one of his many runs with his mother

It is difficult for us to share that our Jake's heart is seriously affected by this disease. To compound the condition, he also has severe scoliosis and is unable to have surgery due to his compromised heart.


Despite these challenges, Jake's spirit remains positive and he is anxiously awaiting Camp Jake. While he can not actively participate in camp, we are confident that he will be checking the blog and Facebook daily as we give frequent updates on the campers and our activities.


We invite you to help us keep Jake's spirit alive and well in the July session of Camp. Donations are being accepted in his honor via PayPal (link on the right) or check. Please be sure to mark the memo line with Camp Jake. 

The Red Thread Promise

20 Brookfield Avenue

Glen Rock, NJ 07452

Simple math

Only 10 days until The Red Thread Promise team leaves for Haiti to roll out Camp Jake / July 2012 and we couldn't be more excited! The months between camp session have been bittersweet, filled with a mixture of sadness and hope. While we have dearly missed the campers during our time apart, we are full of anticipation for the coming trip and the joy we will surely feel when we see our Haitian friends again.


Over the past months, we have been fundraising for camp, contacting corporations, foundations and private donors to sponsor the children and make this session even better than the first. As you can imagine, hosting a camp for physically-challenged people in a developing country requires a substantial amount of time, resources and volunteers. Our supporters have been more than generous and we are extremely grateful for the resources they have entrusted to us.

It is our dream to serve as many handicapped children as possible through Camp Jake, providing physical, art and music therapy, trade training, physical activity and 3 nutritious meals every day of camp. These achievable objectives will be delivered in a nurturing, supportive environment filled with counselors who care deeply for each camper's entire being. Through every interaction, our team will build lasting relationships with these campers. It is our goal to create a fun environment where campers will learn life skills that will positively impact their future and know that they are valued and loved.

Only days ago we found out that one of our large donors is unable to support the camp as anticipated, leaving a deficit in funding. With camp only 10 days away, we are concerned that we may not be able to accommodate all 44 campers as planned. The Red Thread plans to continue to honor Jake Richard through this camp specifically for underprivileged handicapped children. But we can only do so with your help at this critical time.

We are reaching out to you, asking for your financial support to ensure that all 44 campers can participate in the July session of Camp Jake.


Every dollar counts. No donation is too small. You—our supporters—have always come through for our children in China, Haiti and the United States and we know that this will be no exception. We trust that you will find it in your heart to donate to Camp Jake. 


Donations can be made via check or online. Please be sure to mark the memo line with Camp Jake. The PayPal button is on the right sidebar or our mailing address is below:


The Red Thread Promise
20 Brookfield Avenue
Glen Rock, NJ 07452


Thank you so much for your support of Camp Jake!