Blog

Seeds of Hope in Bloom: Camp Tapawingo

In the summer of 2024, Camp Tapawingo in Candle Lake, SK, made a focused investment in mental health – recognizing that a strong camp experience depends on well-supported staff.

With a $2,000 Seeds of Hope grant from the Living Spirit Fund, the camp implemented Strong and Kind, a training program designed specifically for summer camp environments. The program included pre-season preparation as well as ongoing support during the busiest and most demanding parts of the summer.

The result was a staff team that felt more confident, better equipped, and more aware of how to support both campers and each other.

“Mental health is something that needs to be protected and nurtured and the staff had direct involvement and opportunities to practice what they learned in training.”

Throughout the summer, staff faced the everyday realities of camp life: navigating group dynamics, responding to camper needs, and managing the intensity of living and working together. With training in place, they were able to respond with resilience – adapting, problem-solving, and supporting each other in real time.

Mental health wasn’t treated as a one-time training topic, it became an ongoing practice.

Each week, staff revisited key tools and approaches before new campers arrived. They reflected on what was working, adjusted where needed, and shared strategies for supporting different personalities and situations. They also made more intentional use of rest time, recognizing that self-care was essential to sustaining their work.

Impact beyond daily interactions

In one instance, a staff member experienced a significant panic attack during an activity. Fellow staff responded using the skills they had developed – providing calm, non-judgmental support. Ultimately, the individual decided to step away from their role for the remainder of the summer, recognizing their own limits. A decision which was respected and supported.

This reflects a key outcome of the program: creating an environment where mental health is understood, supported, and openly acknowledged.

“We will continue to incorporate mental health training as part of our staff training as the programs we were able to access through our grant money proved extremely valuable to implementing a great program for our campers,”explained one Camp Tapawingo staff member.

The camp also strengthened relationships with program facilitators and continued ongoing supports, including regular check-ins with a chaplain.

Resources beyond the $2,000 Seeds of Hope grant were invested to ensure the project’s success – reflecting the camp’s commitment to building a resilient and well-prepared staff team.

The impact of this training extends beyond a single summer. Staff members leave with skills and awareness they can carry into school, work, home, and their wider communities.

Support initiatives like this!

A Seeds of Hope grant made it possible for Camp Tapawingo to strengthen its mental health supports in a meaningful, lasting way. In the past two years, the United Church of Canada Foundation has granted over $80,000 to camps from Seeds of Hope.

When you give, you help communities respond to real needs – equipping people with practical tools, building resilience, and creating safer, more supportive environments for all involved.

And as Camping Sunday approaches on April 26, it’s a meaningful opportunity to celebrate and support the life-changing impact of camp ministries like Camp Tapawingo.

Make a gift today to support programs that strengthen people and communities.