The Campfire “A Summer Like No Other” – November 2020

Wilderness Works presses on during trying times

A Message from Executive Director Bill Mickler
With new protocols in place, Wilderness Works continues providing experiential education, character development and other enrichments. For the foreseeable future Wilderness Works will provide these experiences more frequently but with fewer children per event.
All the powerful benefits coming from camp and outdoor programming will continue.
Wilderness Works was able to provide multiple trips in June and July for small groups of campers. Wilderness Works created excursions to Lake Glenville and Cashiers, NC and to Camp Kanuga in Hendersonville, NC. In August, Wilderness Works was able to generate a trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota for college-aged students.
We agree with our enthusiastic campers and their families: we can adapt and overcome. Our children excitedly look forward to more time in the wild.

Family Relief Initiative

As Atlanta shut down mid-March, we realized there would be new needs in the Atlanta community. We pivoted our focus and our resources on serving the families with children in our programs to meet their nutrition needs. The dining room in our facility became a warehouse and staging area for preparing food boxes, and community members turned out to assist in distribution. Support poured in from individual donors as well as our friends at Passion City Church. With all this energy around caring for the vulnerable members in our community, we have provided nearly 150 families with critical support. We have continued the Family Relief Initiative all summer as generous support has sustained the program for several months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Camp at Lake Kanuga

One of the most impactful services Wilderness Works provides is sending many Atlanta children to a summer camp they would otherwise not be able to afford. With the cooperation of the families we serve, we delivered a summer camp experience to those children who could safely quarantine for a period of time prior to camp. Camp Kanuga near Hendersonville, NC hosted a group of campers for an unforgettable session of canoeing, swimming and hiking.
We look forward to next summer when a full slate of camp sessions will be available for our program’s children. Special thanks to the Arnold and Winnie Palmer Foundation for sponsoring this summer camp opportunity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Field Camp to Wisconsin

As our Wilderness Works campers progress through our programs, many have their eye on Field Camp. They earn their spot by making steady progress over the years and finally reach our most challenging expeditions. These rugged, longer duration adventures happen in places like Colorado and Wyoming and push these youths into previously unknown territory, on many levels.
Our recent trip to Boundary Waters, WI was no exception. High winds and challenging portages created a memorable trip for several young men who have graduated from Wilderness Works.

Welcome to our new Staffer

This fall we welcome our newest staff member, Donovan Stanley. And while new to our administrative team, Donovan is no stranger to Wilderness Works. He first joined when he was just 11 years old as a City Camper, and progressed through our programming all the way to Field Camp. As he blossomed into an avid outdoorsman, it was a natural choice to put him in charge of Field Camp. READ FULL BIO HERE

Throughout this difficult year, we remain profoundly grateful to our friends, donors and community sponsors.