It has been another summer of incredible ministry to a record 4,500 campers. I am thankful to serve so many children, youth and families from our local region and beyond! Our theme this summer was Moving Mountains and we saw God move mountains in the lives of students all summer long. Here are camper’s experiences in their own words:
COH Mission impacted me greatly! It completely renewed my relationship with God, gave me an opportunity to connect with friends on a very deep level, was overall an amazing week of serving and worship.
God taught me that even if I have small faith that I can move big mountains and I accepted God in my heart and I felt joyful when Tucker spoke and he called us to the front! Thank you 😊
Helped me recognize where God moved mountains in my life. I loved the theme and hearing God this week. I can’t wait to bring more friends back to Thrive. See you next year!
While it’s difficult to summarize all that happened at camp, here’s a snapshot of Summer 2023 by the numbers:
- Served a record 3,105 Day Campers
- Served 762 campers from rental group partners
- Served 641 Overnight Campers
- Provided financial aid to over 300 families totaling $99,000
- Prepared a record 49,000 meals during the summer
- Served 3,336 slushies in the Apple Tree Café snack shop
- Served 91 campers with special needs totaling 588 camper weeks
- Shared the love and hope found in Jesus Christ with each and every camper!
I’m so thankful for our staff team which served campers tirelessly and incredibly well! While many small businesses struggled to find staff, God provided a fully-staffed team of over 150 individuals. I’m not surprised as God has been providing for the needs of Camp Orchard Hill for 51 years!
I appreciate the support of the donors and foundations that helped make camp possible for so many of our guests this summer. Individual donors provided over $50,000 in scholarship funds. And, we received grants from the Earthly Angels Autism Fund, Autism Awareness NEPA, S.A.F.E., the Luzerne Foundation and the Luzerne County Downs Syndrome Network to help children with special needs attend our fully-inclusive Day Camp program.
Now as we transition into the Fall season, we have two great events coming up for adults. Our ALIVE! Women’s Retreat will be held September 29 – October 1 and our BAND OF BROTHERS Men’s Retreat October 13-15. Both events promise a time of spiritual refreshment, worship, wonderful food and the perfect touch of adventure!
Thanks again for the opportunity to serve you and your family!
