This week was our final week of summer camp!
We ended the summer partnering with Rock Ministries of Philadelphia.
Some weeks we run the programming and invite guests for the full Camino experience. Other weeks, we partner with mission-driven organizations to join us for split programming.
This was a great example of a partner week.
Today, we'll cover:
- A partner week at Camino Farms
- Rock Ministries and their week on the farm
- And the different retreat options we’ve been building
Let’s jump in.
What's a Partner Week?
The partner brings the community. Camino brings the camp.
A school, nonprofit, parish, or community organization identifies the campers they want to serve and works with our team to design an overnight experience specifically for them.
The week itself
Campers get the full Camino experience: swimming, sports, arts, animal experiences, farm activities, campfires, music, games, and plenty of time simply to be together.
We can also build in programming that supports the partner's goals, which may include leadership development, team building, faith formation, workforce development, or wellness.
What Camino provides
The campus, lodging and meals, programming and activity spaces, evening events, staff and operational support, nursing and safety infrastructure, and planning with the partner before arrival.
What the partner provides
The campers, staff and chaperones who already know their participants, registration and communication with families, insight into the needs of their population, and a hand in shaping the schedule.
No two look exactly the same
A week for middle school students from an underserved neighborhood can look very different from a week with a youth hockey organization or a school community. We build the experience around the people coming through our gates.
And because Camino operates on a one-group-at-a-time model, for that week, Camino really becomes their camp.
Rock Ministries
“The Rock” is a faith-based community ministry and church in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia focused on serving at-risk youth and families through spiritual, recreational, and developmental programs.
It was founded in 2003 with a mission to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ while offering positive alternatives and support for local young people and their neighbors.
As for camp this week, we were joined by 25 campers, aged 10-13!
Their days opened and closed with prayer sessions at the Pavilion.
We handled everything in between: music and pickleball, arts and crafts, mornings in the animal therapy barn, STRONG & Belong teambuilding, pool time in the afternoon, and the closing ceremony last night!
This was a great example of what a partner week can look like at Camino Farms.
Check out their end of week video below!
If you'd like to support a Camino, please consider making a donation below.
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Retreat Programming
While summer is full of camp, we spend the remainder of the year hosting various organizations for retreats.
We've hosted high school retreats, alumni groups reconnecting for a weekend, mothers' retreats put on by school communities, nonprofit staff retreats, and corporate team retreats.
But we are open to all.
Right now, we are booked from mid-September through the beginning of November, with December availability and various weekends open throughout the spring.
Similar to our camp programming, there are multiple ways to partner with us for your retreat.
Hosted Retreat
You create it. We host it.
You bring the theme, the leader, the speakers, and the schedule. We provide the campus, lodging, meals, and the spaces to hold it all.
Supported Retreat
You create it. We add to it.
You own the retreat, and we bring pieces to life: coordinating Mass, arranging art or music therapy, animal-assisted activities, a service project, or a facilitator.
Camino-Led Retreat
We create it. We run it.
You bring your people and your goals, and we build and run the experience end to end.
If you'd like a full breakdown on the different levels of retreat support, please reply to this email and we'll send it over.
Final Thoughts
It’s been an exciting summer here at Camino Farms.
To cap things off, we’re having an end of year barbecue today for all the counselors and staff here at Camino.
Rather than wait for tomorrow to include a recap from the barbecue, we will save it for next week.
We want to give a proper send off to all those who made this summer possible!
See you next week!
Katrina
Executive Director, Camino Farms
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