Campers in 2024
Doctors, nurses, and medical staff
of Campers had a Disability or Chronic Health Condition
*FY2024 Figures
Residency requirements
Funding
Referrals accepted?
More than 80 percent of parents who responded to a survey said their child saw an increase in confidence after attending Camp Accomplish.
That is certainly the case for Messiah, who used to be afraid to go in the water when his family went to the beach. Then he experienced Camp Accomplish. With camp support staff, and with access to camp’s facilities, Messiah began to embrace water and even learned to love it.
“Now, after camp, he’s running out and being with people and in the water, being more independent,” said Danielle, Messiah’s grandmother. “I felt like I finally found somewhere that he could feel comfortable. Even the other kids on the bus to camp would say ‘hi’ to him.”
Since Camp Accomplish, Messiah has also been more vocal and engaged, both at home and in his community. “Camp Accomplish is more than a camp for me, you were a blessing—I was able to put him somewhere that he could thrive and be accepted.”
Annelise is studying healthcare management at Stevenson University. She credits her experience at Camp Accomplish for instilling in her the leadership skills, encouragement and drive she needs to pursue her dreams.
As a child with sickle cell anemia, Annelise knows how difficult it can be to grow up while navigating a chronic health condition. She found a sense of strength and belonging at a summer camp operated by Children’s National Hospital specifically for other young people with her condition. When Children’s National Hospital partnered with Melwood to expand the Camp Accomplish experience, Annelise jumped at the opportunity to be a camp counselor.
“Former camp counselors helped me accept my sickle cell and find my confidence. I wanted to be a camp counselor to give back some of the magic that my camp counselors gave to me—and I’m so glad I did,” Annelise said. “The camp experience opened my eyes to people from different walks of life, different socioeconomic backgrounds, races, genders, and I got to see how people with other chronic health conditions live and thrive. Being able to have conversations with the medical staff and camp leadership helped me understand that healthcare management is what I want to pursue as a profession, and that I’ve got what it takes to succeed in that field.”
For more than 60 years, Melwood has been building a bridge to a more supportive world. Today, we are one of the nation’s leading advocates, employers, and providers for people with disabilities and their caregivers.
