Dragonfly Forest Volunteers with Hole in the Wall Camps

Wanting to find out first-hand about the wonder and fun of a Hole in the Wall Camp, Dragonfly Forest volunteer Fred Weiner and Board member John Colburn volunteered their time at Double "H" Ranch in upstate New York and Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut.  Fred spent one week at both camps, first at Double H in June and then at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in August where John joined him as a volunteer counselor.  "I had an absolutely unbelievable time," John commented adding, "eating, sleeping, and playing with these wonderful kids gave me some insight into the highs and lows that they must deal with all the time.  The number of times I went from laughing to crying was at its peak in my life."  Weiner wholeheartedly agreed, "It's an experience I encourage everyone to try.  The magic of these camps is hard to put into words, but something I hope everyone has an opportunity to experience."

The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps is working closely with Dragonfly Forest to develop and implement our goals. The Association was created when the camp that was founded in 1988 by Paul Newman – The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp – and four other similar camps tied to Newman's ideals, banded together to share best practices. There are currently eight camps around the world that are members of the Association. Association member camps extend a unique recreational and therapeutic camping experience to children around the world, free of charge.  Dragonfly Forest has achieved “Threshold Status” and, with the encouragement of The Association staff, is working toward becoming a member of The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps.