NEW
PR
E S OPPORTUNITIES
S R E L EA S E
January 2014, Camp Noah
Year-round Camp Noah
Support for Camp Noah Summer Day Camps is Above and Beyond
Lutheran Disaster Response, the disaster ministry of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has always been
a great partner of Camp Noah. This summer was no
exception!
It’s Not Just for Summer Anymore
C
amp Noah is a summer day camp for elementary-children whose communities have been imEarlysince
this summer,
a powerful
E-F5
tornadoBut
devastated
pacted by disaster. That statement has been true
Camp Noah
began
in 1997.
things
much
of
Moore
Oklahoma.
The
tornado
carved
a deadly
are changing around here.
trail 1.3 miles wide and 17 miles long, packing winds of
miles
hour.
The storm
killed 24 people,
including
As part of the curriculum rewrite we did during 2013, 210
what
hadper
been
a five
day curriculum
was divided
children.
into ten sessions. This doesn’t change the flow of thenine
Camp
Noah process, but it DOES mean that
it’s now possible to do Camp Noah in more ways, beyond the traditional summer day camp. And that
Thetotornado
struck at 3:00
pm while children were still in
means we can bring the message of hope and healing
more vulnerable
children!
school and two elementary schools were directly in the
tornado’s
path. Briarwood
Elementary
was severely
So what does that actually look like? Elsewhere in this
newsletter,
you will read
that we successfully
damaged,
made
it out alive.
at Plaza
Towers Elementary,
sevenThis
children
died
and many
pilotedbut
oureveryone
first “after
school”
CampUnfortunately
Noah in Moore,
Oklahoma,
last summer.
camp
happened
were
injured.
over two weeks, with one 3-hour Session each day.
Lutheran
Disaster
Response
partnered
with
LSSMN,
create
a very
specialwith
andone
moving
weekeach
of Camp
Noah this
Ten 3-hour
sessions
also
could be
done
overtoa help
period
of ten
weeks,
session
week.
summer
at
University
Lutheran
Church
&
Student
Center
in
Norman,
Oklahoma
just
weeks
after
the
terrifying
storms.
This might work for communities where there is scheduled early release from school, or for congregations or groups currently offering evening programming on a weekly basis.
Twenty-seven volunteer staff from St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church, Naperville, Illinois, and Ferncliff Camp & Retreat
Center,
Little
Rock,
Arkansas,
led 45 throughout
young, precious
Plaza
Towers
andNoah
Briarwood,
through
Camp
Noah
can
also happen
the survivors,
year. Oursome
first from
Spring
Break
Camp
is already
on a
verythe
eventful
weekfor
of March
Camp Noah.
calendar
17-21, 2014, in Moore, OK, and we’re in conversation about others. Fall,
Winter, and Spring Breaks are all scheduling options that can bring the gift of Camp Noah to a disasOn ter-impacted
Monday, the camp
staff hadearlier
the opportunity
to visit
thethe
Memorial
Wall
for Plaza
Elementary to help prepare
community
than waiting
until
following
summer
forTowers
a camp.
for the campers’ stories they would hear on Tuesday. On Friday morning, campers and staff welcomed special visitors,
including
the presidingwithout
Bishop of
the ELCA, break,
Mark Hanson,
Girlinghouse
of thehappen
Arkansas
For communities
a weeklong
anotherBishop
optionMichael
is to have
Camp Noah
forOklahoma
five
Synod,
and
Mike
Stadie
and
Joe
Chu
of
Lutheran
Disaster
Response.
Saturdays or Sundays in a row.
Maria,
localthat
sitemany
coordinator,
countless
hours
preparing
findingbut
foodwe
and
recruiting
Wethe
know
campswho
will spent
continue
to take
place
duringthe
thesite,
summer,
are
excited children,
that our
declared:
“Camp
Noah
was
absolutely
amazing!”
On
Thursday,
one
camper
reported,
“I’m
not
scared
storms
curriculum now allows for Camp Noah to happen on a schedule that is more responsiveoftothe
the
needs
anymore”
and
a
parent
shared
on
day
three:
“He
slept
by
himself
last
night,
on
his
own,
for
the
first
time
since
the
storm.
of the disaster-impacted communities we serve.
Thank you!”
Regardless of WHEN a camp happens and its particular schedule, every child receives the same 30
hours of resiliency building programming that is Camp Noah. Let’s think outside the summer!
continued...