Camp owners welcome Ferguson children for weekend getaway
Published October 29, 2014
BENTON, Ill. — As the autumn colors reflected reds and yellows in the picturesque ripples of Lake Hamilton, half a dozen adolescents chattered on the small dock at the water’s edge, laughing, baiting hooks and practicing casting reels with varying degrees of success.
“You dropped the bait.”
“Why is the hook so sharp?”
“I feel sorry for the worm.”
It’s the typical lighthearted banter of youth but for these young men and women, it comes during a time when their childhood has been anything but lighthearted. These kids are from Canfield Drive, the formerly unknown street that’s become the fault line for a cultural and political earthquake over the Aug. 9 shooting of unarmed teenager Mike Brown by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. Since Brown’s death, the children who reside on the street where he perished have been beset by everything from riots to protests to the glare of international media attention.
“I think it gives them the opportunity to receive respite from the perils that are currently taking place in Ferguson. (It allows them) to be involved and engage in activities that are outside of their area, to take a break and have some reflection time to be just kids,” said Bonita Jamison, assistant superintendent of student support services at Riverview Gardens School District.
That reflection time came courtesy of Andy Brown and Dan Grabel, owners of Camp Manitowa near Rend Lake in Illinois, about 90 miles southeast of St. Louis. The idea began when the pair saw a Facebook post from Rabbi Susan Talve of Central Reform Congregation (Brown is a congregant) asking individuals to find ways to help the people of Ferguson.
“Dan and I thought about the idea of offering a weekend for free for kids who lived in the areas that were most affected,” said Brown.
“I think they are having a wonderful time, a lot of fun,” Grabel concurred. “Every time I talk to one of the kids, they say they are doing things they’ve never done before.”
Opened five summers ago after a $1 million renovation, Manitowa isn’t a Judaic camp, though many of its summer campers are Jewish. Both Brown and Grabel also have backgrounds in the Jewish camping world.
But for this weekend, the camp opened up to help 22 middle schoolers from Ferguson while employing an all-volunteer staff to assist with a wide variety of activities, from archery to rock climbing to zip lining.
“We made s’mores last night,” said Jamison. “We also engaged in storytelling and some team-building activities to allow the volunteers to get to know the students and the students to get to know the volunteers. You can see some of those relationships being formed as the kids purposefully choose to sit next to some of the volunteers.”
She said she hoped the children could build bonds of trust and learn to depend on one another to face challenges in their lives. But just as much, the weekend was about having a good time.
“They are children first and sometimes, in the midst of everything that is going on around them, it is important for them to go back to those opportunities that they’ve had in the past. This will be a great starting point for that,” she said.
Jamison, who asked that only the children’s first names be used, said challenges like the rock climbing wall were even helping students to overcome their apprehension about heights.
Charnita, a soft-spoken seventh grader, said she intended to conquer the zip line before the trip was over. “If you want to overcome your fear, you have to actually do your fear,” she said during a pumpkin painting session where she decorated a patriotic-themed red, white and blue gourd.
The 12-year-old said she liked fishing the best though she didn’t quite manage to haul in a fish. “I caught seaweed,” she laughed. Nearby, 14-year-old Daniel was working on a pumpkin of his own. He, too, said he enjoyed fishing the most but he also noted the kindness of the volunteers who he felt were very warm and welcoming.
He hopes that future children will have the opportunity to visit Manitowa.
“They’ll see that you are not alone. You are not by yourself,” he said. “You have other people who can help you and encourage you.”
Some of the volunteers on hand were members of the Jewish community. Laura Schechter, a Shaare Emeth congregant said she enjoyed helping with kayaking, canoeing and the students’ nature hike.
“It’s a really good way for them to just get out and live life because stuff right now is so hectic,” said the St. Louis Community College student who works at Temple Israel’s preschool.
Schechter, 21, eventually hopes to pursue a career as a school counselor. She was thrilled to be able to help the children from Ferguson.
“As soon as I heard about the opportunity, I thought, ‘Oh my God, I have to get involved,’” she said. “What a good way to do it, letting the kids be kids and have a good time.”
Nearby, volunteer Becky Ferber was in a similar frame of mind.
“I think everyone is having a good time,” she asked. “Right, guys?”
A chorus of enthusiastic “yeses” went up from the group.
There’s no question why she’s here.
“I wanted to help out,” said the native St. Louisan as she decorated her own pumpkin with the logo from Indiana University where she studies history and English. “I love camp and I think it is important for kids to get a camp experience and a chance to get away.”
Brown said that he would like it if “Camp Ferguson” wouldn’t just be a one-time thing. He may even seek corporate sponsorship for future sessions.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to make a difference for these kids,” Brown said. “Hopefully, it can continue.”
