you will change the life of a child (really!)

By Karin Drury, Volunteer Manager, The Painted Turtle

At the start of each session of camp, I tell the volunteers that they are about to change the life of a child. I'm never sure if they actually believe me. I know it sounds a bit cliché, but I can’t think of a better way to sum up the memory-making, dining hall-dancing, friendship-building, no-hands-spaghetti-eating, creativity-inducing, zip line-flying, late night cabin-chatting, fear-conquering, confidence-building, childhood-recapturing, and of course, hell-raising week that these volunteers are about to create for a group of deserving young people. It’s okay if the volunteers don't believe me at first. I know that by the end of the week they won't need any convincing. Once the kids have all gone home, we will sit in a circle sharing these life changing stories and the only thing that really surprises any of us is that the lives changed aren't only the campers', but our own as well.

Are you ready to change the life of a child? Here are some things we want you to know:

• Camp isn't possible without volunteers: Every year, each SeriousFun camp depends on thousands of volunteers to bring the magic of camp to life. Camp would not exist if these amazing individuals did not donate their time and talents to our campers.

• Experience working with medical conditions is not required: Each camp is staffed by experienced doctors and nurses whose job it is to not only provide medical care to our campers, but also to teach volunteers what they need to know to create a fun and safe camp environment. And also, no, it is not sad or scary to work with children with medical conditions. Just like any other kids, our campers are at camp to have fun and that is exactly what we do!

• We need volunteers for behind-the-scenes work, too: Unsure about working with the kids? There are plenty of other ways to volunteer at camp! Many camps need volunteer help in the kitchen, with grounds-keeping, in the office and with fundraising events. Contact the individual camp to learn more about these alternative volunteer opportunities.

• Start the application process early: Safety is our number one priority, so we take our volunteer screening process very seriously. While the specific process varies from camp to camp, all camps require interviews, medical screenings and background checks. Yes, this takes some time and effort, but the end result makes it all worth it. Each camp's website provides more details about their specific process and requirements.

For more information on volunteering at a SeriousFun camp around the world, please visit: https://www.seriousfunnetwork.org/get-involved/volunteer