Even though spring break is still a few weeks away on the calendar, a counselor at a Hall County elementary school is already thinking about summer and a first-of-its-kind camp for children who have suffered trauma in their young lives.
Rebecca Bouras, an Associate Professional Counselor (ACP) who works at Chicopee Woods Elementary School, is the Director for Camp Phoenix, a therapeutic summer camp for children who have been impacted by trauma that is physical, sexual or emotional in nature.
Bouras, who specializes in treating childhood trauma, said the idea for Camp Phoenix came to her last summer when she was helping with Camp SOAR, a project of The Tree House Child Advocacy Center.
"That stands for Survivors. Overcoming. Abuse. Rocks. and it was for girls," Bouras said. "I started thinking 'well, what about the boys?' and I knew we needed to do more for these kids."
Bouras said she started talking to fellow licensed therapists and educators and the plan for Camp Phoenix came together.
The overnight camp will be held at the end of June at Fort Yargo State Park in Winder. Boys and girls from ages 7 to 11 will be able to spend a week participating in activities that Bouras believes will start them on a path to healing.
"They'll get to engage in therapeutic activities all week long such as mountain biking and rock wall climbing. They're going to make glitter jars - which is a mindfulness activity - and painting," Bouras said, listing just a few of the planned activities on the docket.
The plan right now is to send 40 children to Camp Phoenix, and at this time, Bouras and her team are raising money because no child will be ask to pay for the experience.
"To take 40 children to camp - 20 boys and 20 girls - it will cost $30,000, which is $750 a child," said Bouras. "That price includes everything - they go home with backpacks and yoga mats, they go home with their glitter jars and t-shirts...it takes care of their housing, their food for the week."
Bouras said volunteers will staff the camp - one counselor per two children - and part of the cost will go toward meals for them, as well.
While many of the children attending the camp are from Chicopee Woods School, others will come from other schools in the region.
To help raise money for the inaugural year of Camp Phoenix, Chicopee Woods Elementary School is holding two fundraisers this week. The first is a chili supper on Friday, March 6 from 6-8 p.m. at the school at 2029 Calvary Church Road in Gainesville. The second is a mega yard sale at the school on Saturday, March 7 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Admission to the yard sale is $1 per family.
While this is the first year Bouras has been employed with the Hall County School District, she said the outpouring of support for Camp Phoenix, as well as for children who have suffered traumatic events in their lives, has been more than she could have hoped for.
"Our motto, you know, is 'We're the most caring place on Earth' and honestly, I have found that to be so true," Bouras said.
For more information about Camp Phoenix, including details on how you can make a donation, follow this link.
