A Village Worth Building
More Than Just Camp
Sometimes the impact of Hope WINS is found in numbers, programs, or milestones. And sometimes, it is found in two kids who simply needed somewhere to belong during one of the hardest transitions of their lives.
Alexandra Snyder’s two nephews recently came to live with her after what she describes as a rollercoaster of a few years. There were adjustments to make, things to catch up on, firsts still ahead of them, and a whole lot of emotions for everyone to navigate. Near the end of MAC Camp, Alexandra reached out hoping to send the boys for just a few of the final ten days.
What happened next became about much more than finding childcare.
With reduced income making ten full days difficult, Alexandra had planned on registering the boys for only a few. Hope WINS staff worked together to find space and make it financially possible for them to attend all ten.
Then our MAC Camp village did what it does best: it welcomed them in.
The boys were surrounded by new experiences, encouragement, support, and people who gave them room to simply be kids while they worked through some very grown-up changes.
Alexandra began noticing the difference both at camp and at home.
“They felt included, accepted, and supported by an amazing group of people.”
She watched both boys begin coming out of their shells, particularly Liam, who opened up in ways she hadn’t expected to happen so quickly. Camp gave them moments of fun and connection during a difficult transition, while also giving Alexandra something caregivers sometimes desperately need but rarely talk about: time.
Time to accomplish the mountain of tasks that comes with a major family transition. Time to catch up. And, as Alexandra put it, some much-needed sleep.
But perhaps the biggest change showed up as the boys prepared for another enormous first: going to school for the very first time.
Alexandra saw two boys leave camp more confident, more open, and feeling empowered to face what came next.
Her words captured exactly what we hope MAC Camp can be:
“It wasn’t just childcare or basic camp. It truly has significantly impacted them far beyond that.”
And at the end of those ten days?
They couldn’t wait to come back.
That’s why we talk so much about building a village.
A village doesn’t remove every hard thing a family has to face. It surrounds them while they’re facing it. It makes room when it can. It gives kids somewhere they can feel included, accepted, supported, and safe enough to come out of their shells. And sometimes it gives a caregiver enough room to catch their breath, too.
For these two boys, ten days of MAC Camp arrived in the middle of a much bigger story.
We are incredibly grateful that Hope WINS got to be one small, joyful part of it.
This is a village worth building.