Camp Hope 2026

Time flies when you are having fun. The second summer of Camp Hope using Westminster's campus has come and gone.

Here are a few words from Stevie Marshall, Camp Hope Director: "WOW!! For the first time ever Camp Hope ran for 8 weeks and what an incredible 8 weeks it was!! This year, including myself & our nurse, we had 43 people on staff and we served 72 campers from 17 different counties! For the first time ever we not only had more campers from "over the mountain" in Waynesboro but we also had campers on the other side, as far out as Buckingham! One family would do 3 hours of driving, round trip, so their child, who was turned away at other camps, could attend camp just like his siblings. It's situations like this that remind you that, it's the little things. It's a child who was denied for other camps, getting to pick out his outfit for his first day at Camp Hope. It's a family being able to keep their employment over the summer because their neurodivergent child now has a camp they can attend. It's a parent or caregiver getting a picture of their child smiling and interacting with a peer even though they are non-verbal. It's knowing their child is safe, supported and accepted for exactly who they are."

We are grateful for the Camp Hope counselors, campers, and families. This summer, we noticed the gift of more counselors, which offered more support to the kiddos and brought a culture of calm and connectedness to the campus. The classroom air-conditioning units purchased with a presbytery grant and the added shade from Camp Hope to the playground brought great relief, especially on those 90-degree summer days. Most of all, it was a joy to see the smiles on the kids' faces as they entered the building, guided a horse on the soccer field, or tried something hard for the first time. We are grateful for Camp Hope and cannot wait until next summer.

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