EHC 2007 Director’s Report
Published in memory of Ori Jean (O.J.) May (1928 – 2007), and Kendall Jones (1934 – 2007).
O.J. May was the resident director of EHC for ten years (1975-1985). Kendall Jones was a volunteer and counselor at EHC across three decades.
The traditional camp experience – complete with bunking in cabins, marveling at natural wonders and singing around the campfire – is often regarded by the “outside world” as an unavailable opportunity to blind and visually impaired individuals. How can someone who is blind hike through the woods, ride a horse and participate in arts and crafts activities?
Enchanted Hills Camp (EHC) makes these experiences - and more! - fully accessible to blind and visually impaired, Deaf-Blind and multi-disabled youth, adults and seniors through a combination of low ratios of staff-to-camper support, adaptive aids and strategies that empower campers to take healthy risks that stretch their independence in a safe environment. EHC offers its participants a chance to recognize their own capability for engagement in the full spectrum of activities and challenges that life has to offer.
Enchanted Hills Camp (EHC), a principal program of the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, is the only comprehensive, residential camp experience in the western United States for visually impaired youth, adults, seniors and their families, as well as individuals with multiple disabilities. EHC provides a traditional summer camp environment that promotes the physical, emotional and social health of blind and visually impaired individuals and facilitates their self-reliance.
2007 Youth Sessions
- Elementary Session - 29 campers: Serves children ages 6 to 11 and is often the first taste of independence that young campers experience. This session offers a special focus on important daily living skills, such as hygiene and orientation and mobility.
- Junior High Session - 35 campers: Serves youth ages 11 to 14. Nestled between the innocence of the Elementary session and the confidence of the High School Session, this session addresses the many physical, mental, emotional and social changes campers are experiencing. The focus on mentoring and peer-to-peer relationship building during this session provides an opportunity for youth to become empowered by their disability rather than ostracized for it.
- High School Session - 51 campers: Serves youth ages 14 to 21. This session allows campers to continue to hone skills learned over the years at camp and provides an opportunity for them to begin to focus on the future. Hands-on educational opportunities, such as structured career development workshops, offer campers information and tools to assist in their transition from high school into adulthood.
2007 Adult and Family Sessions
- Deaf-Blind Session - 32 campers: Serves adults with vision and hearing loss. This session provides information and workshops that change each year based on current needs in the Deaf-Blind community. Last summer’s workshops included working with guide dogs and learning how adaptive technology helps Deaf-Blind individuals travel independently.
- Adult Session - 56 campers: Serves blind and visually impaired adults and seniors. 2007 marked the fourth summer in a row that this session was filled to capacity. Adults and seniors traveled from across the state to take a break, have fun in the great outdoors, reconnect with old friends and make new friends.
- Family Camp Session I - 64 campers/18 families
Family Camp Session II - 64 campers/16 families: Serves families with visually impaired children or visually impaired parents. Family camp provides a supportive environment for parents to allow their children to explore new opportunities for independence. The camaraderie of this session is often what keeps families coming back year after year. - Adults with Special Needs Session - 67 campers : Serves adults who are blind or visually impaired and other disabilities. Filled to capacity each year, this session is often the only overnight experience away from home campers have all year. With one-to-one assistance, campers learn new skills, enjoy the outdoors and make new friends.
- Veterans Session - 32 campers: Serves blind and visually impaired veterans and their families. This session is a true getaway, providing veterans the chance to share a traditional camp experience with friends and family away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Staff and Volunteers
For many EHC campers, their experience at camp is so critical to their development over the years and such a source of joy for them that they make the leap from campers to counselors. Other staff are drawn to work at EHC for the unique experience it offers in making a difference in the lives of the blind, visually impaired, Deaf-Blind and multi-disabled.
Ria Baylen is hard of hearing and visually impaired. Outside of her family, Ria has spent most of her time working with and receiving services from the deaf community and the Deaf-Blind community. She knew that being Deaf-Blind would create challenges while working at camp this summer, but the experience was well worth it. Rita had this to say about EHC:
“Looking back... I could say that I'm really thankful and glad that I took the opportunity to experience this summer's challenges as well as meeting all of you! I find EHC to be a unique and diverse yet fun community! In some ways I still can't believe that I made it through the summer!”
Capital Improvements
EHC has been in existence since 1950. Each year, we carefully examine ways to make camp facilities safer, more energy efficient and more accommodating for our campers and staff. In 2007, we made the following capital improvements:
- Installation of a wireless internet system.
- Improved drinking water system to accommodate California’s stricter water filtering requirements that will go into effect in the next couple of years. By being proactive, we can assure that the water quality of EHC is the cleanest, safest water source available to our campers and staff.
- New tile, siding and surface for the pool.
- New benches at Half Moon Circle.
- New benches at Lower Chapel courtesy of Napa Kiwanis Club.
- Restoration of Upper Chapel also courtesy of Napa Kiwanis Club. We appreciate their hard work in allowing us to renovate the chapel, which will be used as a small group discussion area and temporary location for nature programs.
- A new storage shed in Boys Town (boys’ cabins) built with in-kind labor from Westridge Builders.
- Low Ropes Course installation in Sensory Playground and Recreation Field.
- Renovation of our arts and crafts Hogan, including new floors, windows and cabinets.
Fire Abatement Plan
To ensure the long-term safety and defensibility of EHC in the event of a wildfire, we have begun working with the California Department of Forestry, which designed a three-phase fire abatement plan that includes creating defensible space around buildings, removing hazardous trees and creating access roads for use by the fire department in the event of a fire.
Accreditation
EHC is fully accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA). As the governing board of best policies and practices of organized camp programs, the ACA sends representatives to member camps for evaluation once every three years. In 2007, EHC was evaluated on more than 300 ACA standards to keep its accreditation current.
How You Can Help
Camp relies on generous donations from many sources. There are many ways you can help the LightHouse continue to offer the EHC experience to hundreds of youth, adults, seniors and multi-disabled individuals.
Contribute to EHC financially:
- $1,000 allows camp expenses to be paid for one youth camper
- $500 allows camp expenses to be paid for one adult camper
There are ways other than monetary to support our efforts. The following is a list of items we would like to have.
Donate new or gently used items on our EHC Wish List:
- Riding lawnmower
- Dressers or chests of drawers
- Canopy shade structure
- Alfalfa and horse feed
- Acoustic guitar
- Hand drums and other percussion instruments
- Pool toys
- Pillows and sleeping bags
- Flash lights or battery operated lanterns
- Insect repellent
- Garden tools and gloves
- Archery equipment
- Paddle-boat
Donate items on our EHC Special Projects List:
- Taxidermy animals for History & Nature center – animals native to Napa
County, such as stellar jay, skunk, king snake, rattle snake, squirrel, owl, catfish and deer - Yurt from Pacific Yurts to house our permanent History & Nature center
- Help us reach potential campers and their families by scheduling a presentation about EHC at your workplace, place of worship or community organization
- Spread the word about EHC!
For more information about how you can help in any of these important ways, please call LightHouse Director of Community Services, Tony Fletcher at (415) 694-7319.
