Camp offers faith, fun for families of children with disabilities
Written by LAURIE STEVENS BERTKE, Chronicle Writer
Friday, 20 August 2010 00:00
LIBERTY CENTER, Ohio—Ten families with children with disabilities recently enjoyed a weekend of fun and spiritual renewal at Widewater Retreat & Ministry Center in Liberty Center, Ohio.
Sponsored by the Diocese of Toledo’s Office of Equal Access Ministry, the Family Camp Weekend Retreat was open to families with children of all ages, all abilities and all special needs.
WATCH: Click “play” to view a video report on the Family Camp Weekend Retreat.
Marsha Rivas, director of Equal Access Ministry, said this was the first time such an event has been offered in the diocese. The idea grew out of several requests she received from parents who were looking for a local Catholic or Christian camp they could attend with their children.
“There are camps for kids with disabilities, but that doesn’t necessarily offer the family piece, and so that’s what we wanted to strive for,” said Diane Frazee, a member of Walbridge St. Jerome who served on the planning committee for the camp and attended with her 32-year-old daughter.
As the mother of a child with significant disabilities, Mrs. Frazee said she hoped the camp would be a place “for families to come and enjoy some companionship and not worry if their child was a little different.”
Along with offering the traditional camp activities of swimming, paddle boating, fishing, hiking, games, singing around the campfire and arts and crafts, the weekend included special sessions for parents and for siblings of children with disabilities.
There were also times for prayer, and all camp participants had the opportunity to receive the sacrament of the anointing of the sick during an outdoor Mass Saturday evening. Members of Perrysburg Blessed John XXIII provided music for the liturgy, which was celebrated by Father Fred Duschl, a senior priest of the diocese.
“The weekend has been better than I think we could have hoped for,” said Mrs. Frazee. “Families are bonding with each other; we have a great pool of volunteers who have been matched with the families.”
The camp operated with help from a team of about 20 volunteers, many of them high school students. Each volunteer was assigned to one child with special needs for the weekend, which gave them the chance to get to know one another and also provided a respite to the child’s other family members.
Mary Jo Bosch, a member of Walbridge St. Jerome who served on the planning committee, explained that parents of children with disabilities are rarely “off the clock,” even when they are on vacation.
“This gave them off-the-clock time,” said Mrs. Bosch, who attended camp with her husband and their 33-year-old daughter, who has Down syndrome.
“Three of my granddaughters are volunteers here, and they have all been assigned to one child, and they have loved it,” she added. “It really was a great setup.”
Gary Bishop, a member of Bucyrus Holy Trinity who attended with his wife, Pat, and their 10-year-old son, Andrew, said it was nice to spend time “with other families with the same type of problems we have” during the weekend.
“We don’t feel out of place; we don’t have to worry about what’s being done or said,” explained Mr. Bishop.
“It’s like somebody just understanding where you’re coming from,” said Catherine Pawsey of Fremont Sacred Heart, who attended with her husband, David, and their children.
“It’s so relaxing and you just feel God’s love,” she said. “And it’s fun to share our kids with other people that want to get to know our kids.”
