The Between Friends Club

The Between Friends Club is an organization that specializes in the recreation for people who have disabilities. Camp Bonaventure is one of their programs, located on 50 Ave SW Calgary. As an outdoor based camp, activities include canoeing, swimming, rock climbing and sailing.

The day starts off with “Flag” which his a half hour of singing songs to warm up the staff, volunteers and campers. The groups then come together and catch a bus which brings them to their destination for the day. When there is free time, volunteers will help with crafts, leading games, reading stories and providing supervision to help the counselors.

The age groups range from 5-20 which provide a great opportunity to work with people from different backgrounds. Minnows are the youngest with kids ages 5-7 while Pelicans are the oldest ranging from 18-20. Camp names are a must as they create a mysterious atmosphere which keeps the campers engaged. Examples include Mother Nature, Soy Sauce, Tiger Lily and Penguin.

Volunteers who sign up for this project should love meeting new people and should possess sensitivity towards children with disabilities. Previous volunteers have said they felt a deep sense of gratitude for the opportunity to participate as they established meaningful relationships with the campers. Volunteers should also like the outdoors as many activities are held in the sun. The core values of Camp Bonaventure is “A FRIEND” which stands for Abilities, Fun, Responsibility, Inclusion, Equality, No Barriers, and Diversity. If volunteers believe in this, there’s nothing left to do but have a great time with the kids and learn as much as possible from them!

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