Typically, youth growing up in low-income households rarely get the opportunity to travel outside of a five-mile radius of their home. For youth living in the metro Denver area, this means that without assistance, many of these kids will never get the opportunity to step into the Colorado Rocky Mountains and explore the great outdoors.
That is why Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver works hard to provide Club members like Dominic an opportunity to venture outside of their neighborhoods and into the mountains to spend a week at our summer Gates Camp.
“Gates Camp is a great way for youth to learn how to be a leader while stepping outside of their comfort zone,” said Dominic. “At camp, you push yourself mentally and physically beyond anything you have ever done before. You also get the opportunity to make new friends.”
Dominic is a fifteen-year-old Club member at Shopneck Boys & Girls Club and is one of many Club members who have taken advantage of the opportunity to spend a week up in the mountains at Gates Camp. Every summer Gates Camp hosts over 500 Boys & Girls Club members offering many life-changing and eye-opening experiences. During this week-long camp stay, many youth get the opportunity to experience new things. Dominic remembers the first time he left home with mixed emotions to head to camp.
“I had never been to camp before. I was very excited and a little nervous,” recalls Dominic. “But the Camp counselors were there to greet us when we got off the bus. They helped comfort us and get us acclimated to our new surroundings.”
Spending time away from the fast-paced and sometimes tense Denver neighborhoods proved to be a pleasant experience for Dominic. He learned a lot about nature and the personal self-growth that can occur when you try new things. He got to partake in many games and activities that were new to him including hiking, canoeing, rock climbing, archery and much more.
Dominic has enjoyed his time at Gates Camp so much that he spent last summer making strides to one day become a Camp Counselor. As a Counselor in Training (CIT), he got to further develop his leadership skills while learning how to help kids out in multiple different situations. He was able to use his previous experiences at camp to help guide new campers and comfort them.
“As a Counselor in Training you can pass your memories on to the younger kids and hope that one day they will get to experience the same thing!”
Learn more about how you can help send a Club member to Gates Camp this summer!