TO SERVE AGAIN
John with Mentors, Niesje and Rachel
A playful character who is always willing to
dance along to a Justin Bieber song, John’s heart is as big as the bright smile
that lights up his face whenever he interacts with his friends.
His friends are the other special-needs
campers attending Youth Unlimited’s Special Needs SERVE, a week long overnight
camp for teens and young adults with special needs. Some campers, like John, have
Down syndrome, while others have learning impediments or more severe
intellectual disabilities that can make life a challenge.
Begun in 2008, and hosted at Calvin Christian
Reformed Church, SERVE is run entirely by volunteers.
Currently, SERVE welcomes 15 to 20 participants each year, providing
them with a week of teaching and lessons about God, as well as one-on-one
support from mentors, fun activities, volunteerism, friendship and good food.
“SERVE is never the same. There are always new mentors and participants. It is always changing, but the thing that stays the same is the
friendships that are made, and it amazes me how quickly they are made,” said
Joanna, a Direct Support Worker for Christian Horizons, who has been
involved with SERVE since its creation.
To retain participant interest and create unique
memories, every day at SERVE is different. Part of the day is devoted to
teaching, while the other part is devoted to fun and friendship.
Small groups is a time for participants to learn and
go deeper into the lesson and word of God, while in the evening, the speaker
draws them together as a whole camp to impart a message.
Highlights of the week always include leisurely
activities like bowling, motorcycle rides, Ray’s reptiles or mini put, and the
volunteer work sites – such as Jericho Road, the Ottawa Mission or The Ottawa Food
bank – where participants serve others.
To finish the week there is fancy dinner where
participants and mentors dress up, get pampered, dance, and perform together in
a talent show that brings everyone to their feet.
Ron, Commissioned
Pastor of Youth and Congregational Life at Calvin, was inspired to create SERVE
by discovering a similar project in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Approaching a
congregational member who had a sister with Down syndrome, Hosmar asked if she
would be interested in trying the same type of project. After Hosmar, and a
small group of interested volunteers, visited Grand Rapids, the SERVE project
was given a chance.
Over the past six years, SERVE has continuously
evolved, welcoming and saying farewell to various participants, mentors,
speakers, volunteers, work sites and activities.
Not only do participants return again
and again to enjoy the week, but every year familiar faces are seen among the
mentors, with volunteering often running in the family.
“My sister was a mentor the year before my first year of being a mentor
and she really enjoyed it,” said 17-year-old Ben. “It seemed like a
good experience, and I loved it, so I have continued to be a mentor.”
SERVE’s
commitment, camaraderie and love is apparent in the instant bonds created
between mentor and participant and the old friendships that are quickly
renewed.
Taurie, an exuberant
fan of the TV show Glee and much-loved participant, had these words for future
campers, “I would tell them that you make new friends and it's such a blast.”
“Our Mentors want to come back each year because they grow
and come to love our participants so much,” Hosmar said.
“Everyone on the trip is remarkably
present. People are able to truly see each other,” added Mark, SERVE’s
2013 speaker. “This kind of attentive love has an untold impact on the youth
and other servants during the trip.”
While the participants are the ones there to learn and
volunteer, the mentors and camp staff can’t help but leave with valuable
take-aways. As Ben said, “[SERVE] has
impacted me through [the participants] joy and unique point of view on things,
giving me new perspectives, as well as the great experience and unforgettable
memories.”
“Every person has unique value. I learn this
from the participants,” said Mark. “In many ways they are able to accept and
love one another better than I am […] I respect them for their fearless ability
to live out their uniqueness.”
“When they accomplish something for the
first time the joy they show is contagious,” Joanna said,
“They teach you
something new every day and they have a love for life that not everyone has.”
The benefits of SERVE can
be seen throughout the lives of everyone involved, whether volunteer, mentor, planning
team, participant or the parents that are given a week’s respite from the
sometimes demanding care of a child with special needs.
“Our participants learn to be more independent,” Ron said. “Their families appreciate a safe place for their children to be cared
for and loved on for a week. They can then take some time to rest knowing their
son or daughter is safe. “
SERVE’s volunteer planning team is in full
swing with preparations for 2014’s camp. It will be held at Calvin CRC in Ottawa from
July 5 – 10. Though the site is full, if
you know of anyone who might be interested as a mentor [aged 14 and up] or participant [aged 14 – 26] for next year,
have them contact Pastor Ron at youthpastor@calvincrc.ca You can also review the past
SERVE happenings by looking up Pastor Ron’s blog at www.ronhosmar.blogspot.com and clicking on the July entries for any given past year.
“Hopefully,” Ron said, “SERVE continues
to grow and be part of the fabric of our church and the lives of those families
who we are blessing through this ministry.”
Parents of participants agree.
“I wanted to
have John be in a project where he was fully included...not just an add on,”
said Grace, John’s mother. “John knows he is serving Jesus, and
others. He gains new relationships, even though from afar and I can relax
because I know he is in good hands.”
Joy is a public
relations student at Algonquin College and will be beginning her second
year in the program this September. Joy first volunteered
at SERVE when she was thirteen, since then she has been
involved in five SERVE projects.
