“Home” can mean many different things to different people. Whether it refers to your permanent residence, your hometown or the place where you feel most yourself and safe, having somewhere to call home is incredibly important.
Which is why SOAR365’s Respite program aims to make Camp Baker a home away from home for many, including a young participant named Sade and her family.
“We had difficulty finding someone to look after Sade for multiple days at a time, especially during longer periods of travel, and we searched all over for someone who could help us,” says Clarissa, Sade’s mother.
The McDonough family likes to visit family abroad and the journey can be particularly challenging due to multiple layovers, especially when Sade who is non-verbal child requires extensive assistance with daily living tasks.
Luckily, when Sade was seven years old, SOAR365’s Camp Baker came into the picture.
“I was a bit apprehensive to be away from Sade because our duty as her parents is to make sure she has everything she needs,” explains Clarissa. “But to ensure that the whole family has occasional respite, sometimes you have to let other people in.”
Like so many other families in Central Virginia, Clarissa and Bill are so grateful they took that first leap of faith to entrust SOAR365 with the occasional care of their precious daughter.
“Sade was really, really shy when she first arrived at Respite,” notes Latosha Otey, a Supervisor at Camp Baker. “There were challenges getting her to say goodbye to her parents and to do some of the things needed to take care of her health, like taking pills.”
With Sade being non-verbal, communication can sometimes be a roadblock to growth. But over time, her beautiful, beaming smile became more and more common.
“Currently, stays at Camp Baker happen monthly whenever possible for our family,” Clarissa explains. “Whether it’s for a weekend or over two weeks for Summer Camp, Sade always comes home happy and smiling. This allows us to have some meaningful moments with Sade’s sisters, while being assured that Sade is having a good time at Camp Baker.”
Latosha and her coworkers have worked hard to bring joy and fulfillment to Respite participants over the years. Starting as a Direct Support Professional in 2016, she has seen the program evolve by leaps and bounds.
As leadership and staff have changed over time, so have the expectations they set for themselves and the program.
“We created new standards for how we use language at Camp Baker,” says Latosha. “We started giving participants more choice about what they do while they’re here.”
The team of experienced professionals employed at Camp Baker work hard to make participants feel safe and caregivers feel confident in putting loved ones in their care. During their stay, participants enjoy activities, learn new skills, have fun spending time outdoors with friends and even get to go on trips outside of Camp Baker.
All while having their medical and physical needs met, with the help of direct support professionals and nursing staff.
“The little things matter to us,” Latosha concludes. “Everything families do at home, we can do here. It’s a family-oriented atmosphere and the trust and bonds we created with the people we serve are crucial.”
Those improvements helped special children like Sade get into a better routine and become comfortable while away from their families.
Now 14 years old, Sade displays growth that mirrors that of the program.
As her mother describes it, “Sade is much more mature now. She used to have trouble transitioning from one place or activity to another and socializing was never easy. She’s come a long way since then.”
“Now she’ll sometimes just grab her suitcase and act like she’s ready to go back to Camp Baker.”
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To learn more about SOAR365, the Respite program and Camp Baker, visit SOAR365.org. You can also follow SOAR365 on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to see more news, updates and stories.