Hospital Outreach Programs
As part of the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps’ commitment to reach as many children with serious illness as possible, a number of our camps offer Hospital Outreach Programs. These innovative programs bring the hopeful, playful spirit of camp to children in the hospital, helping to build confidence and restore joy and laughter during times that can be scary, uncertain and lonely.
“When we first arrived, Mateo’s nurse told us that he probably wouldn’t participate in any group activities. For days they had tried to get him up walking, but he always said he was too tired. Minutes before the puppet show began, Mateo walked into the common room proudly holding out his paper bag puppet. 'Is there a part for an owl?’ he asked. ‘You guys were laughing so loud I couldn’t sleep.'”
– Hospital Outreach Volunteer
Working collaboratively with hospital staff, Hole in the Wall outreach specialists create a camp-like environment that is inclusive, supportive, and challenging, using resourceful program models:
• Camp in a Suitcase brings the essence of camp- arts and crafts, music and drama, sports and games and lots of laughter- into the hospital, all packed up inside a 90-pound suitcase! Hole in the Wall staff and volunteers pull out beads and glitter, puppets and race cars, inspiring children to paint a picture, make friendship bracelets, put on a whacky puppet show, or shoot a game of “headband basketball.”
• Outpost Adventure transforms hospital playrooms and common areas into a wilderness setting, complete with mountain scenery and a campfire. Children can catch a “fish” or sit on logs around a “campfire” while listening to the sounds of birds and frogs. The outdoor setting and the wide variety of camp games, stories and activities are all designed to make children feel as though they are a million miles away; transported to a place where their only worry is deciding which activity to try next.
Hole in the Wall Camps are proud to offer this extraordinary program in partnership with renowned hospitals across the country, including Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA, Yale New Haven Hospital, and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.