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By Joe Michiels, Board of Directors, YMCA of the Pines As a board member, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to get an inside look at the positive impact that Matollionequay, Ockanickon and Stockwell have on the youth that come here as campers. Some of the activities that I have been able to be part of are meals in the dining halls, morning rituals, going to the fireworks and ceremonies. One of my favorite activities so far, is helping out with the Purple Feather Program during check-out at Ockanickon and Matollionequay. Campers get an opportunity to recognize their counselor(s) [...]

By Lynne Stanwood-Leadbeater, Chief Volunteer Officer This week marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. On July 21, 1969, I was a 6-year old camper in the Cherokee Village at Matollionequay. All my friends and I cared about was winning cabin inspection and getting a buddy for general swim; national news headlines were not exactly a priority to us. But on that night, a few hours after taps, our counselors woke us up and told us to bring our pillows with us into the staff cabin. The staff cabin had electricity and a television! Little did we know [...]

by Jess Dicken, Lake Stockwell Day Camp This is my third summer on staff at Lake Stockwell day camp. For the past two summers I have been a Group Leader for the Cherokee tribe, one of our first grade groups. This year I am in a new leadership position as a Program Activity Supervisor. I wish that before I had joined the Lake Stockwell staff, someone would have told me a few things.    The first thing that I wish I had known, is that when you join the Stockwell staff you are joining a family. From the moment I [...]

By Emily, Lake Stockwell Day Camp Last week, Lake Stockwell Day Camp had 15 new paddle boards delivered for our boating program. They are a hit already! Paddle boards are really easy to use as you can sit, kneel or stand on them. They are lots of fun and our campers are getting really good at using them. However, if anyone does fall off, it’s a great chance to go swimming and boating which the campers have named 'swoating'. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1973548726274560/?ref=bookmarks

by Chef Jason Ostroski, Food Service Director Can you think of any other subject on Earth that is a better metaphor to showcase diversity than food? There is an almost infinitely broad spectrum of differences and minute subtle variances in the food of cultures all over the world… country to country … state to state … city to city … all create the broader strokes of diversity. Religious influences, local ingredient availability and even family traditions can create the more subtle differences. You can imagine that every table in the world could have a uniquely diverse arrangement of food and [...]

We're always so happy to share the good news about our programs here at YMCA of the Pines. South Jersey Local News published this story about the new direction at our boys camp - Camp Ockanickon. Read on - and feel free to spread the good word to your friends, family and colleagues. http://www.southjerseylocalnews.com/news/camp-ockanickon-for-boys-at-ymca-of-the-pines/article_1656e290-8b9a-11e9-b95e-3ba9ee293f93.html

If you’re a camper or a parent of a camper who’s been to Camp Matollionequay, you’ve surely met Marlana. She’s an amazing, hard-working, versatile leader, who’s been here practically forever so she knows our organization through and through. And she knows how to get things done!  “Marlana is awesome,” says Camp Matollionequay Director Gab Ostroski. “We’re so fortunate to have her here at camp for another summer season. She’s done just about every job there is to do here – and she has a good understanding of the different age groups and how to work with our campers. This summer, [...]

In the kitchens at YMCA of the Pines, it is our honor to serve delicious meals to customers of all ages who visit us for a wide variety of programs and events. From day campers and overnight campers, to Family Dinner Nights and Family Camp Weekends, to Women’s Wellness retreats or a 5th grade class trip - the types of people and styles of groups we cater to is limitless! We also run cooking classes and workshops and have special visits from Santa and the Easter Bunny! In our kitchens, teamwork is essential and as part of the kitchen staff, [...]

By Roger Houghkirk, Director of Camp Bright Feathers The Quick History of CBF In the 80’s the world started to deal with a life changing and life destroying disease called HIV/AIDS that would affect millions of lives and families. It made people scared, intolerant, and the fear of the unknown created by myths and misinformation increased the stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV and AIDS. Even as we learned more about this disease as time went by, there became a need to support children who were infected and affected by HIV. In the winter of 1992, the YMCA Camp Ockanickon Board [...]

An interview with Gab Ostroski, Director of Camp Matollionequay and April Eyler, Matollionequay Program Coordinator – about the new Emblem Program at Camp Matollionequay Gab and April have been huddled together, working out the details of an exciting new empowerment program. According to Gab, pictured at right, and April, the Camp Matollionequay Emblem Program has been designed to fit into the motto of our girl’s sleepaway camp, “Empowered to be Me.” “We firmly believe in the mission of Camp Matollionequay and YMCA of the Pines, and have created an Emblem Program that enhances this mission, encourages empowerment, and incorporates the [...]