"Jennifer, Matthew and Lea's" Story
Camp St. Vincent Clients
“The sounds of their laughter and excitement quickly turned my tears of sadness into tears of hope, joy, and determination.”-“Jennifer”
For a year and a half, Jennifer and her children, Matthew and Lea, lived an unstable and uncertain life, spending their evenings with different family members and at various shelters. “I had lost control of our lives, and I was seeing the negative effects that our situation was having on my children,” Jennifer reflected.
The adversity and hardship Matthew and Lea had suffered was causing problems academically and emotionally. They were confused and sad.
Fortunately, a caseworker at a shelter told Jennifer about Camp St. Vincent, and she jumped at the chance to enroll her children. Camp St. Vincent, a program of St. Vincent de Paul, is the only free summer camp dedicated to serving homeless children in the Baltimore metropolitan area. What makes Camp St. Vincent special is that the program is specifically designed to meet the needs of this vulnerable population.
“At a time when the world felt like it was crashing down around us, my children were coming home from Camp St. Vincent with smiles, exciting stories, and an enthusiasm that I had never seen before,” recalled Jennifer. “And the sounds of their laughter and excitement quickly turned my tears of sadness into tears of hope, joy, and determination.”
Camp St Vincent is an all-inclusive, eight-week, summer camp for children ages 5 to 12 that provides academic and cultural enrichment in a therapeutic environment. Camp St. Vincent offers homeless children a fun summer experience, while strengthening them academically and promoting healthy social and emotional development.
The effect that the Camp St. Vincent experience has on campers is profound. Matthew entered Camp St. Vincent as a confused and scared little boy. By the end of the summer, Matthew had found the joy in being a child again and was one of the most outgoing children at Camp. He was always the first in line for activities, eager to volunteer to be a leader, and took pride in helping the other children.
"Everyday they would come back to the shelter with stories about the wonderful things they were doing at camp—arts, sports, swimming, field trips,” said Jennifer. “We learned a lot,” Lea added, “Ms. Miller even made reading and math fun!”
Jennifer smiled thoughtfully as she recalled, “I had to hold back tears watching them in Camp St. Vincent’s skit for Family Day last year. I couldn’t believe the transformation that had taken place with my children. It’s remarkable how much they changed in one short summer.”
“I am overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for the experience that my children had at Camp St. Vincent,” said Jennifer. “We now have a new home, and they are healthy and happy children. I am forever grateful”.
