A Camp Like No Other

by Shelby Homan

Let’s start with the truth.  My parents signed me up for Camp PVN at Presbyterian Village North even though I was a bit resistant. They strongly encouraged my attendance, and I ended up loving it. Here are the top three reasons I love Camp PVN:  socializing with the residents, learning about physical rehabilitation, and hearing about the residents’ passions.

We had many opportunities to socialize periodically throughout the day. Personally, my favorite time to socialize is during lunch. I love to hear what the residents have to say while enjoying the great food. What makes it even better is that each day there is a different resident/group of residents to talk to. They always have stories to tell about when they were a kid or young adult. It is always fascinating to hear about how much different our childhood is than theirs was, and yet lots of things are the same.  Also, from my experience, it’s normal for a resident to tell you to go get more dessert after you have already had your portion!

Some residents have come after a serious surgery for physical rehabilitation. Though some exercises are the same as a normal gym, some techniques are used that you would never have thought about, like a station to test your taste buds. There was a swimming pool for a different kind of therapy. Wow, I really understood more about aging after this. Some things were harder than I knew for older people.

Through different activities, I learned about a resident’s passion, or a story of their own. My favorite was playing putt-putt golf with a resident on the new putting green. A close second was learning about a lady’s journey in Australia. As a group, we got to hear about a trip to Africa by two residents. They took many pictures from all around the continent and shared them with us as well as many experiences.

So, I think you can see that there are many things I love about Camp PVN.  But, the biggest reason I can’t wait for Camp PVN is that it reminds me of being with my grandparents.  My grandfathers are no longer alive, and Camp PVN allowed me to meet some adopted grandparents.  We all know that grandparents see the best in us, and give us lots of desserts, so sign up now!

To learn more or to invest your gifts in our PHPC Kids’ programming, visit www.phpc.org/kids or contact Director of Children’s Ministry Ann Nielsen at anielsen@phpc.org or 214.368.6348 ext 152.