5 for Good: Salvation Army's Camp Wonderland marks 100 years
Sharon camp celebrates a century of serving families from across Massachusetts
Sharon camp celebrates a century of serving families from across Massachusetts
Sharon camp celebrates a century of serving families from across Massachusetts
Kids at Camp Wonderland in Sharon, Massachusetts, described a wonderful camp experience.
Run by the Salvation Army, both Ngozi Lechukwu, who has attended the camp three years in a row, and Vijet Bailey, a current counselor and former camper, called it a home away from home.
"It's really positive people and really positive vibes all around," Lechukwu said. "I feel really comfortable here."
"Camp Wonderland, for me, is home," Bailey said. "This is the one place on Earth that I can always come to and always just know that I have someone in my corner to back me up."
Camp Director Jen Forster said she also started as a camper at age 6 and went on to take on various roles.
"I started as a waitress in the dining hall and did jobs like housekeeping, and I was a counselor, the recreation director, a unit leader," she said. "I started working full-time with the Salvation Army and at camp right after I graduated from college."
Camp Wonderland marks 100 years this summer, having opened in 1924.
"Initially, it was for single moms and their families," Forster said. "They actually came to camp together and the moms were taken care of as well as the kids, and they had an opportunity to just enjoy camp."
She said that thanks to the generosity of donors, nearly every camper attends the overnight camp on a scholarship, paying, on average, just $50 a week.
"You get kids from all across the state, and they're able to meet here at camp," she said. "That was my experience. It really opened my eyes to meeting new people and such a diverse community we have here. We're so proud of it."
Bailey said having fun outdoors is something many of the campers don't get at home.
"It's honestly so heartwarming because, as someone who grew up in the city, we don't have a lot of outdoorsy areas," she said.
Find more information about Camp Wonderland here.