From Raven...

My name is Raven Gadient, and my sister and I volunteered at Camp Imua for the first time back in 2009, when our youngest sister, Jewel went to camp. We had heard about camp when she was younger and still receiving therapy from Imua, but we never followed through with it until 09; but our whole family is glad we did! Jewel made her very first friend at Camp Imua, a little girl named Ava.

I’ve volunteered at Camp Imua every year since!! I’ve gotten to watch kids grow and change while at camp, and Camp Imua is really a life changing experience; not just for the special needs kids, but for all the volunteers as well. The Campers get to do all kinds of things they wouldn’t normally get to do while at Camp Imua, zip-lining, surfing, horseback riding, and much, much more. The campers have the opportunity to look past all the things they can’t do, and look at all the things they can do while at Camp Imua. It helps them achieve their full potential, and aspire to keep going.

I’ll end with this, if any of you have a list of things you have to do before you die, add volunteering for Camp Imua down on it. Even if you don’t like working with kids, or you’re not a “camp person”, it will really change your life. Seeing the love and happiness that Camp Imua brings to the special needs kids on Maui, is just that, life changing. Camp Imua is all about acceptance and seeing the campers as kids, not just as differently able, or challenged kids. You see high school kids rise up and become the camper’s friends. Camp Imua connects you; the kids you work with at Camp Imua you see at the mall or Costco, and mark my words, they don’t forget you!! And you don’t forget them either. It’s the best feeling when the campers come up on the first day of camp and tell us that they look forward to Camp Imua more than Christmas, and it’s funny, but I look forward to Camp Imua more than Christmas as well. Raven