August 2019 - YMCA OF THE PINES

Camp has shaped me into the person I am today

By YMCA of the Pines|2019-08-15T17:13:05-04:00August 15th, 2019|

By Liv Joselle Grant, Village Chief, Camp Matollionequay I am the youngest of three and I was raised by a single mother. My mother couldn’t afford much for us, but thanks to the scholarship opportunities that camp has to offer, I was able to attend Camp Matollionequay(Matolly) - the place I now call home - for many years. Growing up, I struggled with making friends at school. As a loud and energetic child, I was always told to not talk so much and sit down, but at camp, I can be myself. At camp, I learned how to develop meaningful and [...]

Let’s catch up with Chef Jason about our camp kitchens!

By YMCA of the Pines|2019-08-12T14:16:05-04:00August 12th, 2019|

Greetings from the Kitchens at the YMCA of the Pines!! It’s been a while since I put the proverbial pen to paper and sent a blog post out into the world for all of our campers, friends and families to read and I thought a message was about due! I wanted to take this opportunity to catch everyone up on a few things… most of all, some of the positive and well received changes and new offerings and options coming out of our kitchens this season! Starting this summer, we have made cereal available at every meal! In addition to [...]

This once-homesick camper now calls this place home!

By YMCA of the Pines|2019-08-12T09:54:29-04:00August 12th, 2019|

By Riley Crompton, Summer Photographer at Camp Matollionequay Matolly is my home and this camp community is my family. I continue to come back every summer because this place and these people mean the world to me. I truly believe that everyone leaves camp a better person than when they arrived. I started coming to camp when I was 10 because my friend’s older sister attended and recommended it. I was the most homesick little Seneca you’ve ever seen, but I knew that if I could work through the homesickness, I would find that camp was very special. With the [...]

The impact that campers have on our staff is worth mentioning

By YMCA of the Pines|2019-08-11T20:38:40-04:00August 11th, 2019|

By Suzette Belz, VP of Development and Major Gifts It’s not every day you hear about the impact that campers have on our staff but the other day, I had the opportunity to hear it from one of our international staff members. Sam Garlick, originally from England, spent his second summer at Ocky this year as a senior counselor. Sam shared a story about a 14-year-old camper who came to Ockanickon on a scholarship this year. Sam said he only knew Andrew was a scholarship recipient because he was vocal about it. Here at YMCA of the Pines, we take [...]

We’re all about empowerment at Matolly

By YMCA of the Pines|2019-08-09T15:44:58-04:00August 9th, 2019|

By April Eyler, Program Coordinator, Camp Matollionequay Each summer, each session, and each day at Camp Matollionequay, we live by the motto “Empowered to be me.” This guides our thoughts, our actions, and our program that we participate in. Through the Empowerment Emblem Program, each camper empowers themselves to learn a new skill each time they attend camp. I am proud of the Empowerment Emblem Program and I truly believe that through empowering one girl at a time to seek adventure, take risks, and develop leadership, we will empower the world. While all of the emblems within the Empowerment Emblem [...]

Ockanickon still Ockanickon but much better!

By YMCA of the Pines|2019-08-09T11:16:02-04:00August 9th, 2019|

By Suzette Belz, VP of Development and Major Gifts Marchánt Davis, an actor and producer, came back to Camp Ockanickon after 15 years to fulfill one of his childhood dreams: to become a camp counselor. Marchant spent 8 years at Ocky as a child. He came to camp as a young man from Philadelphia; he left the city to be at a place where he could be a kid. At camp, he could swim, fish or experience the things he couldn’t do in the city. As a camper, he looked up to then camp assistant director Brent Birchler because he [...]

The bonds that form at camp – such a beautiful thing

By YMCA of the Pines|2019-08-08T11:42:45-04:00August 8th, 2019|

by Rick Worrell, Lake Stockwell Day Camp One of the things that make my day fun is seeing the bonds that the campers form with our staff. The smiles that we get when we greet them each morning. The high fives as we pass along the trails. The moments when we are just sitting and talking about our day, or about our camp experiences. We get to experience these moments every day, week to week, and summer after summer. I also enjoy seeing the friendships that the campers make with each other. Children from all walks of life come together [...]