Compassion in Action - Camp CUMCITO
Camp CUMCITO Helps Hundreds
During the sun-soaked months of summer, 356 homeless and low-income children got to escape the pressures and dangers of the urban core and spend a blissful week at Camp CUMCITO (City Union Mission’s Camp In The Ozarks). As always, the Lord did amazing work in the lives of both the campers and the volunteers who ministered to them during the week.
Travis Bradburn, camp specialist, recalls one boy who got in a fight with another boy in his cabin. After the counselor talked through the situation with the boys, they were asked to make amends by helping pick up the campsite. The boy who started the fight refused. As the counselor talked with him, the boy broke down, sobbing that he was angry because he was no longer living with his mother and missed her terribly. The cabin full of boys, who overheard the exchange between the counselor and the boy, responded not by teasing the boy but by surrounding him with love and support, volunteering to help him pick up the campsite.
For Travis, the biggest challenge of the summer was finding enough volunteer camp staff members. "We still struggled the week before camp finding staff," he shares. Next year, he prays more youth and adults will raise their hands to work with the kids.
"I know of no one who can walk away from being on staff and not be affected," Travis says. "It’s a wild thing."
Make plans now for you, your church or youth group to help out at camp next summer! To reserve your spot, visit our Web site at www.cumission.org.
