Our Impact

Camp Kirk is my happy place. It is where I can just be myself, everyone is different, yet all the same. No one judges me, everyone helps me and I have made good friends. I wish the kids at school could see me at camp.

My son was given the chance to be himself and realize that he is not “made wrong.” The staff made him feel accepted and appreciated. It was good for him to hear that people, who are not his immediate family, think highly of him.

Before this camp, Rachel never felt she could be away from home overnight.  Sadly, mum and dad felt the same.  When away camp was suggested by helpers, we didn’t think any of us could do it.  But we know what’s best for her includes independence, as for all children.

A few of the things that helped us immensely were the home visit, open house, great staff and financial aid.  I was so relieved to meet Victoria (the Assistant Camp Director) and know of the ‘matching’ process for a good cabin fit.  Rachel hasn’t had the easiest time fitting in, and I can imagine the same for her camp mates.  Thought put into this beforehand is both smart and kind. The open house made me feel like I could imagine time at camp, that eased my mind about a lot of things surprisingly.  Seeing all the warm staff helped the most.

After camp, she now volunteers to do several things alone: go to the corner store; order food while mum waits in the car; take quick elevator rides.  This may not sound like much, but it IS.  Anyone who met her at the start of camp will see how big a deal it is for her.  Mostly importantly, she’s built memories of great friends apart from school (another first!), and believes that she’s capable of duplicating this success.  At pick up, I steeled myself for reprimand, but her first words were ‘can I come back next year, but for longer??’.  I couldn’t even believe it.  And that she was in a group hug with her cabin friends.

Thank you for this amazing step in the right direction for my child.

Camp is something that both my husband and I grew up attending. We always knew we wanted our children to have the same growth opportunities. Camp provides an unbelievable learning and growing opportunity for any child. When your child has an exceptionality it can be harder to find somewhere that you feel will meet their needs; physical, social, physiological and emotional.

Camp Kirk provided that space for our daughter this summer.  At 6, she attended her first summer of overnight camp! She was very excited to go off and have her own experience after hearing all about ours.  For ten days she lived with a dynamic group of cabin mates, enhanced her empathy skills, learned new skills, tried new things and her self esteem sky-rocketed!

We received one postcard while she was away-“I love camp! Can I stay?”. When we picked her up she was beaming.  She looked, and acted, like she had grown and matured more in ten days than in her entire school year. She still talks about camp, and has already started counting the days until next summer!

Camp Kirk is a magical place, and one that as a family, we are so blessed to be a part of!

It wasn’t so easy getting him there the first year. We watched all the great videos on your web site and he thought it looked like camp might be fun, but I had to promise him that he wouldn’t have to do arts and crafts. He came home that year with the award for best pottery.

Now my son loves Camp Kirk. His room is adorned with years of mementos (arts and crafts). He has even saved all of his outgrown t-shirts.

He raves about the food and how good it is. Which usually upsets his brother because the food at his camp isn’t so great. He always talks about the variety and all the great desserts. Last year he came home excited about bacon and yogurt together. I am sure that was him and his friends doing and not the chef’s.

Speaking of friends, he has made a more than a few of those as well. Not only the campers but staff also. I remember once we ran into a young man at a movie that my son ran up to as if he was a long lost friend. They chatted for awhile and after he left I asked if he was one of his cabin staff. He said, “No mom, that’s the laundry guy. He’s the best.”

However, all of that is not why I am writing this letter. I had struggled with behavioural challenges with my son for many years. Since he started going to Camp Kirk those challenges have lessened every year. I am sure that camp is not the only reason for the improvement, but I do know it plays a big part.

His desire to spent more time at Camp Kirk has inspired him to get a job delivering papers. He has saved every dime so that he can help me pay for camp. As well, he volunteers at the local Boys and Girls Club, so that he can practice being an LIT.

He hopes to one day be a counsellor at Camp Kirk. All the while he is coming home with the best report cards he has ever had. I don’t want to jinx it, but also I can’t remember the last time I got a call from the school over some behavioural issue.

In short, I love Camp Kirk also.

Making the decision to explore overnight summer camps did not come easily for us as parents. We have watched our son struggle to find his place among peers, and it has been so hard to see him miss out on fun and friendships because of his anxiety.

When I started researching camps that offered inclusivity, support and empathy for their campers, I didn’t know what I would find or if such a place even existed.
And then Camp Kirk came up on my screen, and I clicked on a video made with testimonials from former campers. After watching it several times on my own (and crying each and every time) I brought my son into the room and asked him to watch it with me.

He sat quietly and took in every word, and when a quiet, young boy at the very end of the clip shared his experience, my son turned to me with tears in his eyes and said, “He’s just like me, Mom.”

From the moment Erica arrived at our home to meet my son and talk to him about Camp Kirk, he began an excited countdown to his week away. And he ran into his cabin with so much excitement and joy when that week finally arrived.

When we came to pick him up, he was beaming. He was tangled up in a group of friends and he was hugged tightly by each of them as they said their good byes.  This time my tears were those of happiness.

He has changed in so many positive ways from that 10-day experience. He is confident and believes in his worth. He knows he has something to offer as a friend.  We are so grateful to the staff and families at Camp Kirk for the many gifts they gave our son.

As a parent of two children with autism, choices are made every day with extra thought. Some times anxiety arises around these choices. Sending my two babies away for a week was a highly stressful choice for us.

When I stumbled upon Camp Kirk I was excited at the possibility of my children being able to attend something special and that they would be accepted for who they are.  Every ‘mom worry’ I had Camp Kirk had covered.

When I met Erica I felt a sense of calm and peace. I knew all she wanted was to give my children an amazing experience and that’s exactly what they had.

When we dropped them off the counsellors could see the worry on my face and combatted it with a gentle hug and a confirmation that they would take amazing care of my babies.

Each day I received a thought filled email from Erica reassuring me that the kids were safe and loved and having fun.

My two boys ask over and over when they can go back to Camp Kirk. The camp and the counsellors hold a very special place in our family’s hearts.

My son came home today from Camp Kirk, exhausted, smelly, filthy – and the biggest smile I have ever seen on his face (and that includes Christmas!).

He won a medal for archery and he went down the water slide- and he rang the bell on the rock wall!!  These are seemingly all small things to most- but to him- to us- he’s identifying his emotions, and articulating them, he’s seeing his own success and pride in something new- and is excited to share it with others.

He has built friendships with meaning – that are more then in that moment when there in front of him.  He has asked if there is anyway he can go back tomorrow- we are hopeful for the coming summer!!

And most of all he is hopeful for the future… Thank you to all of you that helped make this possible for him!!