CAMP JAKE: Enriching Campers' Lives

The Red Thread enriches campers’ lives by exposing them to people of different nationalities, diverse perspectives, and varying life experiences at camp. Our dynamic group of counselors represents 3 different countries: Canada (Quebec), Haiti and the United States (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia).  

Several cultural exchanges will be enjoyed at this session of Camp Jake; an Asian dinner complete with chopsticks, fortune cookies and Asian-inspired decorations; and an American BBQ with a variety show and dance capped off with a paper lantern release on the beach! 

CAMP JAKE: Sports & play

Promoting an active lifestyle is a critical component of Camp Jake. We will offer opportunities to develop and tone muscles, increase energy levels and improve health through organized sports and play. What’s on the schedule this summer? Aquatics, a favorite for people of all abilities; baseball; football (soccer), the national sport of Haiti; hula hooping; double-dutch and freestyle jump rope; yoga, which will be adapted for everyone’s individual abilities; kickball; and, a favorite with the blind, games with the ginormous red ball and noise balls. Healthy activities wrapped up in a big package of fun!

CAMP JAKE: Honing life skills

In an effort to continue fundamental life skills training, counselors will focus on teaching campers time management this summer. Time management is a highly marketable life skill used in:

• Effective planning
• Goal and deadline setting
• Delegating responsibilities
• Prioritizing activities
• Allocating sufficient time for activities

At the beginning of the week, each participant will be given his or her own watch: braille timepieces for the blind, vibrating watches for the deaf and standard watches for the remaining campers.

Various opportunities for time management will be presented throughout the week to encourage campers to use their watches and responsibly plan their daily activities. We look forward to seeing the campers using their new-found skills outside Camp Jake!

CAMP JAKE: Spotlight on spa night

DeeDee sporting her relaxation skills with a blind camper
Photo by Howard Chen

Camp Jake has finalized its programming line-up for July 2013! Campers will continue engaging in creative art and music therapy, aquatics and sports activities throughout the week.

In addition, counselors will introduce boating, sewing, yoga, cooking and fishing! These new activities encourage independence and self-reliance, improve both short- and long-term health, and expose campers to potential career paths, all vital aspects to the Camp Jake experience.

Casey giving one of MANY facials at the July 2012 session
Photo by Howard Chen

Also on the docket is 'Spa Night', one of the ever-popular activities that has continued since our first camp in January 2012. During this activity, campers enjoy a rare treat - complete relaxation, even if only for a bit.

Some may question why this is a part of our programming. They might even say it is frivolous and a waste of time. However, we beg to differ.

Photo by Howard Chen

As you've read in previous posts, the social stigma against people with disabilities in Haiti is prominent, leaving our campers—people with varying disabilities—stressed and tense, day in and day out. We're sure our readers would agree from personal experience that high levels of stress affect our bodies in a multitude of unhealthy ways, from general grouchiness to loss of sleep to depression or anxiety. Perpetual tension also inhibits our ability to learn and fully participate in everyday activities.

The Mayo Clinic dedicates page after page of their website describing the ill-effects of stress:
When the stressors of your life are always present, leaving you constantly feeling stressed, tense, nervous or on edge, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on. The less control you have over potentially stress-inducing events and the more uncertainty they create, the more likely you are to feel stressed. Even the typical day-to-day demands of living can contribute to your body's stress response... This puts you at increased risk of numerous health problems, including:

• Heart disease
• Sleep problems
• Digestive problems
• Depression
• Obesity
• Memory impairment
• Worsening of skin conditions, such as eczema

Photo by Howard Chen

For these reasons and more, Spa Night will continue to be a part of Camp Jake as campers learn healthy ways to deal with stress. Not only will they enjoy a full body massage and facial with high-quality products from Aveda (complements of our friends at Neill Corp), they will learn relaxation techniques that they can utilize long after camp.

CAMP JAKE: Waste not!

If you've ever been to Haiti, you've no doubt noticed the lack of a recognizable consistent waste management system. Even if you've never set foot on the western half of Hispanola, our photos tell the untold story. Trash is an ongoing problem in many areas of Haiti.

This issue has been on our minds and we've decided to do something about it. This summer, we are implementing a "waste not" initiative at Camp Jake. 

Throughout the course of the week, counselors will use every opportunity to teach campers the importance of proper trash disposal and to care for their environment. We will not only lead by example, but gently enforce the use of proper trash receptacles, leaving behind no trace of camp waste. In addition, all supplies being brought from the states are being broken down to their base form and repackaged to minimize the impact on the country.




Case in point: we received a large donation of fruit roll-ups for Camp Jake. They arrived in six individual boxes, inside another cardboard box, nested inside a shipping box! Instead of carrying the donation into Haiti "as is", the contents have been broken down into gallon-sized zipper bags, leaving all cardboard in the US. These same zipper bags will be used for supply storage following camp or brought back to the US so we leave as small a footprint on Haiti as possible. 

While this concept may not be new, it is sure to make an impact on the kids as they see us "putting our money where our mouths are!"

Small children, BIG hearts!

TRTP Vice President, Sonya, receiving the check
from Columbus Montessori graduate

We've said it before and we'll say it again:

We absolutely LOVE when kids 

get involved in our mission!

For the 3rd year running, The Red Thread Promise has been the recipient of funds raised by a group of elementary children from Columbus Montessori Education Center in central Ohio. 

The school's Upper Elementary class—consisting of 4th, 5th and 6th graders—operated their own pizza business during the school year. Students organized and implemented all day-to-day operations, including order taking and pizza delivery, and were responsible for managing both profits and expenses throughout the duration of the project.

And, wow, did their hard work paid off:

• it funded 100% of their end-of-year class trip to Cincinnati
• it allowed them to help others within their own school community - 20% of the proceeds was gifted back to Columbus Montessori in support of the school's beautiful new labyrinth
• it allowed students to make a global difference for needy and orphaned children - 20% of the proceeds was gifted to The Red Thread Promise, providing hope and healing to little ones in China, Haiti and the USA

The awards and graduation ceremony

Not only was the project a very successful fundraiser, but a hands-on learning opportunity for the entire class. In addition to lessons about running a business, students learned about philanthropy, giving back to their own community as well as those they may never meet. These are invaluable life-lessons that will never be forgotten by both those who participated in the fundraiser as well as those who benefit from their generosity.

To those young people we say THANK YOU and encourage them to follow our work via this blog, website, and Facebook page to see how their donations are put to good use.

CAMP JAKE: An open invitation

Shawn, Camp Jake counselor, making memories
with Frénel, a blind camper (July 2012)

This July, The Red Thread Promise is swinging wide the doors of Camp Jake to share the work we are doing for people with disabilities (PWDs) in Haiti. We have invited representatives from governmental and non-governmental organizations—local, national and international—as well as Haitian business owners to experience camp along side The Red Thread team.

Some of our esteemed guests for this summer's session include our partners from Physicians For Peace, as well as representatives from Unicef, MINUSTAH (United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti), and the OAS (Organization of American States). All have been invited to take part in our efforts to change both local and global attitudes toward PWDs and take steps to integrate PWDs into Haitian society without discrimination.

Ultimately, The Red Thread's goal is to bring communities together, where everyone is viewed with dignity. During our activities around the world, we model respectful and inclusive behavior toward PWDs. We bring medical teams to meet their physical needs and provide tools to enrich their daily lives. We have been actively discussing discrimination issues in Haiti since 2009, encouraging the implementation of anti-discrimination strategies. Fortunately, on March 13, 2012, the Haitian Senate passed the Law on the Integration of Disabled Persons, the first of its kind in the country. This law provides us the legal support necessary to enact fundamental change in this tiny Caribbean country.  

Art therapist, Kelly, showing love to blind campers (July 2012)

But above all, we build relationships, showing love and care to those often cast out by their own society. Camp Jake provides the perfect opportunity to do so, a full week of one-on-one interaction with 40 PWDs from St. Vincent's Center for Handicapped Children. Campers enjoy physical, occupational, art and music therapy in a safe atmosphere where each is encouraged to be themselves in an open and inclusive environment.

Sonya, TRTP Vice President, sharing laughs and hugs with Kenson

By its very existence, Camp Jake has proven to be a powerful tool in changing Haitian attitudes toward PWDs. We have witnessed locals, tourists and even hotel staff change their attitude and reception of PWDs within hours of witnessing campers interact with one another and our team. This type of positive experience is essential to debunking the local myths about people with disabilities. 

We believe the keys to societal reform are achievable by:

• Giving Haitians the opportunity to witness positive inclusive behavior
• Encouraging Haitians to directly engage with PWDs
• Speaking openly about the issues PWDs face 

Camp Jake is a wonderful venue to showcase PWDs' ability to integrate fully in society without discrimination. We invite you to keep visiting our Facebook page and blog for updates leading up to Camp Jake 2013 and throughout the amazing camp experience.