HOP On The Go: Camp Day Send Offs

Campers at Boston Children’s Hospital received Camp Day send-offs before boarding the bus to Hole in the Wall 

Not every child who comes to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for a summer session has a parent who drops them at Camp. In fact, a great many of our campers arrive on busses, which depart from Camp’s hospital partners, providing much needed transportation assistance and ensuring everyone is able to find a way to reach Hole in the Wall. But as any parent who has had a child attend sleep-away camp knows, it can be a little scary dropping off your kiddo, even more so if you aren’t able to be onsite. 

Understanding this, Camp’s Boston Hospital Outreach team found a solution to help ease parent nerves and build camper connections before Camp sessions even get started. Building off of the Camp Day events that the team already hosts each summer at multiple hospital partners, the team started hosting Camp Day Bus Parties at Boston Children’s Hospital and Boston Medical Center, gathering all of the campers who will be departing together for a little taste of what’s to come. 

“The first time we hosted a bus party, it was kind of a happy accident,” said Hospital Outreach Specialist Ariel Ford, who has been the mastermind of these events. “We were hosting a Camp Day the same day the bus was leaving, and before the bus left, the kiddos were doing activities and making T-shirts. We got to see some of the new campers make friends before they got on the bus, and we got very excited.” 

Seeing the impact on those campers, Ariel made it her goal to host similar Camp Day events prior to each bus departure this summer. Coordinating with the admissions team onsite in Connecticut, Ariel readied materials for each camper who was expected, and planned activities that would help foster connection while giving parents a little window into what their child would experience during their session. 

“We wanted to provide not only a space for campers to feel a little more at ease, but also a place for their caregivers to make a connection and feel that everything is going to be OK,” Ariel shared. “The connections just grew, and we were able to build that Camp spirit before the kids got on the bus and headed on their way.” 

The reception has been positive, with campers making friends, parents finding peace and hospital staff feeling supported. It’s a partnership that we look forward to continuing. 

“The participation of the Boston-based Hospital Outreach program (HOP) team on Camp departure day has proven to be such an important part of the day,” said Jackie Miranda, social worker at Boston Children’s Hospital. “HOP provides a space for the campers to engage in and start that Camp experience. This is especially beneficial for our nervous newbies. Even our veteran campers are easily engaged with the HOP activities and connect with old friends prior to boarding the bus.” 

Learn more about Camp’s Hospital Outreach program here.