FUN for all: Camp helps youths affected by addiction

Dozens of area adults have come together with a goal: to let children impacted by addiction know that they matter. Registration is underway for Camp FUN, a program designed for area youths who have been affected by addiction and/or overdose. The camp, a community collaborative initiated by the Hancock County Opioid and Addictions Task Force, will be held from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Nov. 20 at the New Life Assembly of God, 3120 Norcrest St. Camp FUN (Friendship, Understanding and Nurturing) is open to youths between the ages of 9-12 and 13-17. Activities will include arts and crafts, music, an obstacle course and other games. At the end of the day, youths will have a take-home bag including items they made in art class and information for their families, including contact information for area organizations. Executive Director Precia Stuby said the Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services reviews every overdose death, and some members had started to notice that many of the people who died had children. Sometimes the children were in the home when it happened. They wanted to think about what they could do for these children, and they started talking about some kind of camp. "And people started raising their hands," Stuby recalled. The Rev. Gregg Fox, pastor of Bluffton Trinity United Methodist Church and a member of the ADAMHS board's Recovery-Oriented System of Care Committee, said dozens of people have been involved in planning for Camp FUN. Stuby said organizers recognize that "a person struggling does not struggle in isolation," but others around them are affected. She said the board was going to create a camp for children who had lost a parent to an overdose, but when she and Fox visited a camp in another community, the people there encouraged them to expand it to children impacted by addiction in general, because "they have more in common than not." Stuby said she hopes children take away from Camp FUN a recognition that they are not alone, as well as the feeling of being seen and heard. And, she said, "they can hate the disease all they want," but it is OK if they still love the person — and the hope is the camp will help the youth with these complicated mixed feelings. She said it's understandable children get told, "Drugs are bad," but that can lead them to worry people who they genuinely love are being labeled as "bad people." "This isn't, per se, a therapy camp," Fox said. But a therapist will be on-site in case the day "stirs up some bad feelings." Fox said they want to let the youths know they are not alone. He wants Camp FUN to let them know "they count, they're valuable ... and their life is not determined by what they're going through." And he said they are emphasizing the "7 Cs": the youth didn't cause the addiction; can't control it; and can't cure it; but they can care about themselves; can communicate their feelings; can make good choices; and can celebrate themselves. Fox said the ADAMHS board has calculated that 75 area children have been affected by the loss of a loved one. He said one of the things that motivated the creation of Camp FUN was a youth who had "touched the heartstrings" of the ADAMHS board when she told them about a parent who had died of an overdose. Fox said that, although they're starting with a one-day camp, the goal is to make it a weekend-long camp to be held twice a year in the spring and fall. Stuby noted that a child affected by addiction could be experiencing a chaotic home life, perhaps living in foster care or with a grandparent. So, she is encouraging everyone to spread the word about Camp FUN through word of mouth. "That's something we can all do," she said. Limited spots are available for Camp FUN. The registration deadline is Nov. 15, and there is no fee to attend. Lunch and snacks will be provided. Parents or guardians can register their child online at shorturl.at/bwHN7 Arthurs: 419-427-8494