When I sit down to write the newsletter, I always like to highlight what’s happening at Camino throughout the week.
Last night, we welcomed a group of Pope John Paul II High School students for their senior year Kairos Retreat. They will be with us until Monday.
I will share more about their experience next week.
The rest of the week has been spent in preparation for Fall Fest and our upcoming Women’s Wellness Weekend.
I have a couple of exciting updates to share with you for each of those.
And then I will also be sharing more about our plans for Fall 2026 and beyond.
Let’s dive in.
Fall Fest
Sunday, October 11, 11 AM–3 PM
Thank you to everyone who has already signed up for Fall Fest! We are so excited to see everyone!
We’re more than halfway to capacity and because of parking, we are only able to welcome about 20 more families. So please register sooner rather than later!
You can expect plenty of food, fall activities, a sports zone, games and relays, and a “farm experience”.
One of the highlights of our sports zone will be the football toss, run by Coach Gary Brooks and Coach Bryce Manning. They will be setting up the net below for the attendees to test their arms and see just how accurate they are!
⭐ We will also have a Quiet and Sensory Space⭐
Our sensory space will be located in the Welcome Center, and it will feature lower lighting, comfortable seating, sensory/fidget items, coloring, books, water, and minimal noise.
🎤 And of course, there will be music and karaoke!
Singers will be able to take the stage throughout the day with our open karaoke.
There will be no set agenda, so all attendees will be able to walk the campus and participate in the various events as they please.
If you are interested in attending, please sign up here.
And for those who join us, please do your best to carpool!
Women’s Wellness Weekend
New this week: a quiet moment, just for you
We're excited to share that Gunnur Holistic Massage for Women, a women-only studio in Narberth, will be joining us for our Women's Wellness Weekend!
Their therapists will offer complimentary mini-massages for most of the afternoon on Saturday. This will be an added benefit of the retreat at no extra cost to attendees.
Guests can step away whenever it fits into their day, with a simple sign-up form keeping everything relaxed and unhurried.
A weekend of rest, connection, and renewal
The weekend features yoga and mindful movement, guided reflection, creative wellness activities, time outdoors with our animals, Mass and Adoration, nourishing meals, and plenty of free time to rest or walk the property.
It's a wonderful weekend to share with your mom, your sister, or a close friend.
Arrival is Friday at 4:00 PM and departure is Sunday at 2:00 PM. $275 per person includes overnight accommodations, meals, and all retreat programming.
Come as you are. Leave rested, connected, and renewed!
You can view the flyer here, and full details are on the registration page below.
Reserve your spot here.
Fall 2026 and Beyond
In a recent team meeting, we were speaking about where we are headed for Fall 2026 and beyond.
At Camino, we often say: "Everything here grows together.”
But what does that mean in practice?
Here is the 5-part system we spoke about earlier this month:
- A Camp and Retreat Center for groups looking to disconnect, reflect, and be with God. For this, we feel we are about 90% of the way there. Many people would associate us with both a camp and retreat center with the stated goals above.
- A farm donating 20,000 pounds of poultry, 15,000 pounds of beef, and 150,000 eggs every year. We are also well on our way with these numbers. We are not 100%, but very close to 75% to our goals.
- A place of service and immersion that teaches about social justice issues. We are still early in this, but we are looking to invite more people to join us in serving both God and his creation. This is a big reason we invite a lot of high schools for service days. And it’s the same thing we do with staff retreats, embedding these aspects of service into their overall experience.
- A convening hub that brings together nonprofits, families, and leaders to share ideas, strengthen programs, and build sustainable solutions. This is another area we’d like to build out more as well. One of the big things in the non-profit and farming worlds is how helpful everyone is to one another. We’d like Camino to be a convening hub to create more change.
- A workforce development center focused on hospitality and agriculture training for people who face barriers to employment. This is something that is very big for us that we are still working on. This is obviously very big for us with Luke having Down syndrome and knowing it is tough for those with IDD to find employment. However, this is a big undertaking and still a ways away.
The plans are laid out in order of what we feel could take place over the next 2 to 3 years.
If you feel passionate about any of the initiatives above and would like to offer help or guidance, please reply to this email. We would love to hear from you.
Closing Thoughts
Before signing off, I would like to highlight that many of our Camino Companions (who supported campers for Camino Belong week) will be coming back to volunteer for Fall Fest.
We also have a few high schools in the area who will be sending students for service trips.
We are so thankful for the volunteers, and cannot wait to see them on campus in a couple weeks as well!
And as always, if you have any questions about our upcoming events, please feel free to reach out.
Until next week,
Katrina
Executive Director, Camino Farms
P.S. Our main focus right now is getting the word out about our Women’s Wellness Weekend. If you know of anyone who would enjoy this weekend, please pass the flyer and registration along to them. If they have any questions, please tell them to reach out!
Was this email forwarded to you?
|