T.R.U.S.T Camp
Hiking, fishing, bonfires- for most children and teens, the summer months are filled with these outdoor activities and fun memories from going to summer camp. While summer camp is a simple idea, it is a privilege that some children will never have the opportunity to attend. Pathway’s annual T.R.U.S.T Adventure Therapy Camp allows Pathway teens the ability to make these fun summer memories and leave behind the burdens of their lives for a week.

T.R.U.S.T stands for “Teens Realizing and Understanding Selves Together.” T.R.U.S.T camp includes many typical summer camp activities, all while incorporating therapeutic goals for the teenagers who attend. It is a chance for them to leave behind any worries or stress that were prevalent at home, and to focus on themselves and their relationships in a safe environment.

This year, camp took place from Sunday, July 23rd through Thursday, July 27th. 17 staff and volunteers accompanied 45 teens, ages 13–17 years old, as they ventured into the great outdoors at Camp Koinonia in Geneva, OH. The week provided a chance for teens who come from different backgrounds, have different interests, and live in different cities, to come together and form relationships that they may have otherwise never had. It is a learning opportunity that helps teach acceptance and open mindedness. Activities included horse-back riding, creek hikes, a service project, archery, and a talent show, just to name a few.

2017 marks the 6th annual Pathway T.R.U.S.T Camp, although camp organizers Traci Tsai, Pathway Therapist, and Marcie Girdlestone, Pathway Mental Health Services Director, have been planning therapeutic summer camps since 1999. This is the second consecutive year that T.R.U.S.T Camp has been held at Camp Koinonia, and both the Pathway staff and teens love their beautiful campground and helpful workers. Although the exciting week has come to a close, everyone involved has taken away life-lessons, new friendships, and lasting memories. T.R.U.S.T Camp 2017 was a success, and Camp 2018 is sure to follow right in its footsteps.

For more information about Pathway, feel free to visit our website at http://pathwaycfc.squawqr.com/ or give us a call at 330–493–0083.
