Happy campers

Camping can be a pain – travelling out to the woods, packing all the gear, braving the weather. But, through the generosity of London’s Civitan Club, the great outdoors came right to the doorstep of Mount Hope one warm September evening.

“Camp Mount Hope” was a one-of-a-kind experience for the people who call Mount Hope home. Over two campfires crackling outside of the residence, a large crowd of residents and guests roasted s’mores, listened to acoustic music strummed on guitar and sang camp songs together. Therapeutic Recreation Specialist Lauren Waite kicked off the event with a sing-a-long and promised lots of fun and “even a ghost story or two”.

To keep everyone entertained, the Mount Hope therapeutic recreation specialists set up activity stations including archery, a fishing game, friendship bracelet-making, a nature scavenger hunt and a fire safety booth. Snacks, drinks and meals were served up in the “mess hall”. And campground decorations like pop-up tents, fairy lights, picnic tables and balloons completed the nostalgic scene.

Helping hands

“It’s nice to do something a little bit different,” shared Pam Vanwyk, a resident who moved into Mount Hope a few years ago. “I enjoyed the singing, and the smell of the campfire of course.”

Vanwyk jumped at the chance to help out at the archery station, where young kids and those young at heart tried their hand at hitting targets with a plastic bow and arrow. Volunteering across Mount Hope helped give her a sense of purpose as she adjusted to living in long term care. “I like to have things to do, so I offer my services whenever they need me,” she says. “What I like most about living here is the closeness of everyone on my floor. People are always smiling and saying hello. It makes me feel good.”

Enhancing life in long term care

The evening also featured a photo station for residents and guests in front of Mount Hope’s Freedom Express bus – another indispensable item funded entirely through donor support.

The Civitan Club has provided the funds for an annual Mount Hope Family Fun Day for the past eight years. Past Fun Day themes have included a circus (“Cirque du Mount Hope”), a Caribbean carnival and a barnyard day with petting zoo animals on site. The Civitan Club has also funded offsite outings in the past for residents to visit Camp Woodeden, a wheelchair-accessible campground in Komoka, and experience nature up close.

Family Fun Day is a tradition that residents and loved ones look forward to all year long – and an event that the Mount Hope therapeutic recreation staff enjoy planning and executing. It gives them a chance to collaborate, flex their creative muscles and come up with activities and experiences that appeal to people of all ages.

For residents, some living with mobility and health challenges, it’s an opportunity to reconnect with activities they love, try new things and socialize. This year’s Camp Mount Hope was the perfect way to say goodbye to summer and give residents a reason to smile.

“Our goal is always to celebrate this vibrant and beautiful family at Mount Hope,” Waite says.