SEPTEMBER 5 • 2024 | 15
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the family atmosphere the camp
provides. “He sees the people
at this camp as family,” she
explains. “It’s not just another
experience. The atmosphere you
have is just unparalleled for an
adult like Tyler.”
He enjoyed the opportunity
to make new friends, especially
as some of his friends have aged
out of the program, she explains.
“He came home. I said, ‘Did
you like it?’ He said, ‘I loved
it,’” she reports. “The essence
of camp is just that it gives him
opportunities to go places and
do things he can’t do without
support. And not just support,
but support from people who
understand him, who want to
understand him, who are patient
with him and do whatever it
takes to make that experience
successful and happy for him.”
For Gagnon, who says he
hopes to attend next year as
well, the summer was a success,
complete with a carnival, roller
coasters and more. “Going to
JCC Camp is like giving kids a
dreamland. It’s giving them a
chance to express who they are
by letting them do things as a
community, not just as a camp,
but also as a living society,”
he says. “There are so many
wonderful memories we make
together.”
Tessa Hewitson, KAT Unit Head,
Jack Schiffer, KAT camper and
Ashlee Frankford, KAT counselor
Micah Johnson
and Penny
Beadle, SNAP
participants
Participants in the
Young Adults All
Together program