Wellness G.I.F.T.S.giving inspiration for the soulCamping retreats for families with members with special needs.

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Family Fun

Wellness G.I.F.T.S. is a local not-for-profit agency grown from a grassroots effort to meet the needs of families who have children, of any age, with special needs.

Respite, Recreation, and Rejuvenation are the three Rs we strive to achieve. Hosted by Hickory Hill Family Camping Resort, Wellness G.I.F.T.S. Inc. is located in the heart of the Finger Lakes. Our families enjoy a weekend in a safe family friendly, atmosphere.

HistoryWellness G.I.F.T.S. Inc. was started by Janet Opila-Lehman in 2001 with a vision of providing educational, social, therapeutic, and respite activities for children with special needs and their family members. The Board of Directors is comprised of volunteer members who are dedicated to the Mission & Vision of Wellness G.I.F.T.S. Inc.

Unlike many other camp programs, G.I.F.T.S. focuses on the whole family.

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A Retreat in Scampers Nutshell

Each Season begins with a new and exciting theme. Themes help to create a whimsical, retreat, get-away atmosphere.

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Upon arriving, every camper receives an interesting theme-based Welcome Bag of retreat supplies. Once the families check- in (at 3:00pm), a schedule, lodging key, and parking pass are made available to our guests.We provide every family member a matching T-shirt. This helps our volunteers and staff distinguish our campers from Hickory Hill Family Camping Resort campers. Our staff and volunteers also wear matching shirts that are easily identified by our guests.

Wellness G.I.F.T.S. Inc. provides a catered breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the families throughout the retreat.

As you can see by this August 2015 Retreat schedule, there were plenty of interesting activities planned for our astronauts!

Children- PlannedOpenParentsFriday3:00Check inCheck in5:006:30Taco Dinner/unpackAmazing Space RaceMeet & Greet Crafts, Hiking, Mini golfTaco Dinner/unpack Amazing Space Race7:00Opening CeremonyOpening Ceremony7:30Movie/Popcorn/SmoresMovie/Popcorn/SmoresSaturday8:30BreakfastBreakfast 9:30Space StoriesCraftsHikingMini golfPlay Ground/ FieldIcebreaker (Lounge)10:00Sandy and Joseph Windwalker (Hall)Teena Fitzroy - Speaker Lounge11:00AstroBall - VB court11:30(11:45) Group Photo(11:45) Group Photo12:00LunchLunch 2:00 Rocket Race Cars SwimmingCraftsHikingMini golfPlay groundFieldsTies (Speaker) 2:45Ice Cream SocialAssistant Break (2:45- 3:45)Ice Cream SocialAssistant Break (2:45- 3:45)3:45Wagon RideRocket Creation- Launching Wagon RideReception/Networking Activity Hall4:004:30Rocket Races5:00Pizza Party/DJ TentParent Dinner6:30Talent ShowTalent ShowSunday7:00Continental BreakfastContinental Breakfast8:30Make noise makers CraftsHikingMini golfPlay Ground/ FieldMake noise makers9:00ParadeParade9:30(Check out)10:00BrunchLlamas Brunch11:00Closing CeremonyClosing Ceremony

Although our theme changes from year to year, there are some activities we do annually at every retreat.Opening CeremonyGroup PictureIce Cream SocialParent DinnerDJ Dance and Pizza PartyTalent ShowParade Closing Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony After dinner, and everyone is unpacked and settled in we meet in the Activity Hall for the Opening Ceremony. At this time we go over the specifics, expectations, rules, regulations, and policies.It is a great time to for everyone to get to know each other and for Assistants to get to know their families.

ActivitiesDuring retreats, campers are encouraged to participate in recreational physical activity. Emphasis is placed on team building, communication, good sportsmanship, and every effort is made to include campers of all abilities.

The Splash Pad and Pools are so much fun!

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When naming our sports events, Wellness G.I.F.T.S. takes in consideration possible negative associations to typical sporting activities.

For example, this year to coordinate with our Space Camp theme we renamed kickball lunar launch. This is an effective way to promote participation and creates a new enthusiasm for physical activity.

Samu from Ability Yoga, a yoga program designed for children with disabilities, held a class with our children and provided an informational presentation to our parents.

Rocket Race Cars!

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Mini Golf all Day!

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So Much to Do!

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The Windwalkers

Arts and CraftsA popular activity for many of our campers is arts and crafts, which is made available throughout the retreat. Our organization understands the importance of creativity and art in the lives of our campers.

Home Depot donated great planter crafts and aprons.

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The most important rule of the arts & craft tent is to Respect others Artwork. This helps each camper to be comfortable in being creative, promoting the importance of each individuals work of art building self-esteem

Ice Cream Social

This time honored activity is such a sweet treat. We all scream for ice cream in the summer!

G.I.F.T.S. opens this up to all the guests of Hickory Hill Family Camping Resort for a small $2.00 fee. This helps to bring campers together and helps offset the cost of the ice cream.

Our program has effectively integrated the creative process with education and social integration. Last season our campers created rockets out of recycled bottles which were launched into the air by the rocket man, a local science teacher, as parents and fellow campers watched on in amazement. This was not only a fun and educational event; it was an experience that will remain in the memories of our campers and their families for years to come.

Waiting for Blast Off!

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Parent Dinner One of the highlights of the retreat for the parents is a specially decorated and catered Parent Dinner. Parents order their meal choice ahead of time and we do our best to create a beautiful ambiance for networking.

Parents and caregivers dress up, enjoying the company of their spouses and other parents while their children are busy enjoying a DJ dance and pizza party.

Our caterers really know what our parents like!

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DJ Dance & Pizza Party While the parents are enjoying grown up time, the kids are busting a move!

The Talent Show! Our Campers Favorite!The Saturday night talent show is always a highlight of each retreat weekend. Researchers report that preforming on stage can be an incredible tool to encourage socialization, communication, and greater facial recognition skills in children with autism.

We love to celebrate Birthdays with song and silly hats just before the talent begins!

Congratulations Graduates!

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Many of our returning campers plan, prepare, and practice for our annual talent show year round and our new campers are excited to join in and have their time in the limelight.

For parents, this event fills their hearts with pride. One parent wrote an email after the August retreat that said her daughter has always dreaded Talent Shows. She went up twice to sing with the volunteers. Amazing!!!

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Social Interaction and NetworkingWe know that our retreats serve as an important social experience for the campers and their families. Parents/Caregivers, the children with special needs, and their siblings have unique opportunities to connect with others in their own peer groups.

These retreats provide a much-needed reprieve for both the caregivers and the children. Because their children with special needs are nearby in the campground with their assistant, parents can relax with the knowledge that their loved one is close and well supervised. It felt so nice to take a shower explained one parent during the July 2015 retreat. To many, taking a shower may seem like a simple task, but to parents with children with special needs it can be a daily struggle.

Parents also have the opportunity to attend educational training seminars, explore networking opportunities, speaker presentations, or simply relax by the pool.

Sunday Morning Parade

What fun making noise and playing kazoos!

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The Llama Lady was here!

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Closing CeremonyOne of the most touching parts of our retreats. We pass around the talking stick and everyone gets a turn to speak about their experience at the retreat.

Our retreats are the best, now its time for us to rest!

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Volunteers Assistants and Helping Hands

Each of our campers is assigned a trained assistant for the weekend that supports them with various activities that are both fun and motivational. Our organization is volunteer based with two categories of volunteers, assistants and helping hands.

Assistants

Assistants who are ages 17 and older are background checked, fingerprinted, and receive training in compliance with New York State law to assure safety for our families. Assistants are the backbone of the organization and the ones who spend the most time with the family.

Helping Hands

Helping hands are teenagers ages 13 to 16, who also attend training. They help the assistants and staff during the retreats wherever there is a need. Several of the helping hands are siblings of the children with special needs and some are Hickory Hill seasonal campers.

. Wellness G.I.F.T.S. Inc. recruits at area colleges and high schools for students who are looking to gain professional and personal experience working with children who have disabilities.

Many of these young adults are working at our retreats to fulfill field period, internship, or community service requirements. The Wellness G.I.F.T.S. Inc. retreat program allows these students to gain valuable experience that will help them in their educational and professional endeavors

We are fortunate to have outstanding members of the local community who bring their entire family to camp to help us from set up to the final clean up. Many campers have gone from attendees to volunteers to board or committee members.

All of our volunteers work and play with the children during the retreat, forming bonds and relationships with the families and each other. These wonderful humans are the heart and sweat of the Wellness G.I.F.T.S. Inc. organization.

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Wellness G.I.F.T.S. Inc. Retreats for Families with children, of any age, with special needs.