Eight-year-old Thomas sat alone in the corner of the chapel. He covered his ears while dozens of excited children mingled around the room. As a kid with autism, Thomas often found it challenging to navigate loud noises and new people, especially in an unfamiliar environment. This Angel Tree camp in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, had rules, but “use your inside voice” must not have been one of them—at least not on the first day of summer camp.
Thomas often experiences something called sensory overload, a common side effect of autism.
“A lot of new people, new surroundings—he can’t really do crowds,” his mom, Rebecca, explains. “I was torn when it came to deciding to send him to camp. The fear of a new place and knowing the world may not accept him for who he is brought me to tears.”
Thomas, already used to feeling different, also had a father in prison.
Hiding from the excitement in the chapel, Thomas barely noticed when a teenage boy sat down beside him. He learned the teen was Elijah, a camp counselor, and they began to make conversation. Thomas shared how his mom had signed him up for camp with his little brother Mikel. It was the brothers’ first week away from home without a parent.
The kindness of a new friend helped put Thomas at ease that night. He never forgot it.
“[Elijah] came and helped comfort me during that,” Thomas says. “He helped me get through that.”
A NEW ADVENTURE
That first week of camp introduced Thomas to many new experiences. Along with worship and Bible lessons, the schedule at Camp Joy El included games, go-karts, and a water slide. The more Thomas connected with campers and staff, the more he felt at home.
Camp also brought new challenges. While he enjoyed quiet devotional time, Thomas struggled to follow a few Bible reading assignments and activities due to some skill delays.
Caring counselors allowed Thomas to adjust at his own pace to the rhythms of camp life, from journaling to memorizing Bible verses to sleeping in a bunk bed. Thomas began opening up to a counselor named Bruce about how he was struggling to fit in and how his dad was incarcerated.
“He just was more understanding of the difficulties I had because of the disabilities I had,” says Thomas, “to do the activities with the other campers.”
Thomas’ first week at camp was far from perfect, but his connection with people like Bruce and Elijah kept him coming back for nine years—and counting.
With time, Thomas grew more comfortable trying new activities. He found it easier to make friends with his peers and follow along with lessons. With each passing year, he felt more like he belonged.
And each year, Rebecca took notice. Both her children had found a safe place in Angel Tree camp.
“I would stalk the website every night to see the pictures the camp uploaded from that day's activities,” says Rebecca. “It would give me comfort when I saw [my kids] playing and being with peers. I knew I didn't have to worry so much.”
THE JOY OF CAMP
It’s been nearly a decade since Thomas’ first summer of Angel Tree camp, the place he once worried was too noisy and unfamiliar. Today, he considers camp a second home.
One recent summer, he was standing in the camp kitchen when Elijah burst through the door with a bear hug and big news: Thomas was going to be a junior staff member.
For Thomas, the staff experience proved rewarding but difficult at first. It was challenging to help wrangle large groups of campers every day. At times, he questioned if he should stay the course. Then, after long days, he would see rowdy campers begin to soften. Campers who once mumbled one-word answers began to open up and make friends. To Thomas, this made facing his own struggles at camp worth it.
“I was just wanting to quit, but I couldn’t,” he says. “One thing I would learn to adapt, or just learn to enjoy, was seeing the campers and how they can grow.”
Thomas serves at camp through their 4.12 Leadership Training Program (LTP). In LTP, Thomas develops and practices leadership skills, seeks opportunities to serve, and builds relationships with others. A typical day on the job involves helping with canteen or mealtimes, maintaining the facility, writing incident reports, and assisting campers with day-to-day activities.
“I had like four campers that didn't want to listen and then slowly got into it more,” says Thomas. “I got to see how that could actually positively affect people.”
Thomas enjoys looking for ways to lift up others and affirm the God-given strengths he sees in those around him.
“Camp is something I do to help,” says Thomas. “Watching the other leaders helped to see how they work and how they still change things every year. They change things to be more efficient and to be more welcoming.”
Beyond gaining leadership skills, Thomas is guided through biblical worldview training and spiritual disciplines. With no personal electronics or outside distractions, campers consider the camp a haven for spiritual growth.
FINDING A FAMILY
Even when he’s not at Angel Tree camp, Thomas enjoys growing in his faith wherever he goes. He still keeps in contact with Elijah, whom he calls a mentor. He brings two Bibles to school every day. Before bed, he listens to the Bible as an audiobook. It reminds him of his favorite place, where he gets to discover God in the great outdoors.
Every year, Thomas packs his bags early for camp. When he talks about the future, Thomas dreams of having his own house and being financially stable. He hopes to continue serving others for years to come.
Rebecca is grateful for the years her son has given to camp and for all that the place has given to her family.
“Having a child with autism is a lonely place,” says Rebecca. “Not just for me, but for everyone in the family. Having the opportunity to send them to camp I could have never done on my own. Camp brought friendship and gave [my kids] a feeling of responsibility that was not overwhelming.”
Rebecca says Thomas wants to pursue a career at camp. It’s his favorite place to be—a place where he is loved just as he is.
She adds, “This is the family he grew up with. It’s better to work with an environment that you know and love than to go somewhere that you feel lost. He really finds happiness there.”
ANGEL TREE CAMPING
Angel Tree camping is a chance for children of incarcerated parents to get away from their daily challenges and have fun in the great outdoors, making new friends and meeting caring adult counselors. At Angel Tree partner camps like Camp Joy El, children encounter the love of Jesus and discover hope for the future.
