--- title: Camp Connections Across Generations description: Explore the transformative power of summer camp as generations connect, share experiences, and inspire one another through mentorship and shared memories. image: https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/hubfs/AdobeStock_170419258_Preview.jpeg --- [![Center for Abundant Aging](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/wp-content/uploads/uch-logo-200x84.png "Center for Abundant Aging")](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center) [Back to United Church Homes](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. - [Educational Opportunities](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/) - [Overview](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/) - [Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/clinical-pastoral-education-cpe/) - [Quellhorst Endowment Fund](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/quellhorst-scholars/) - [High School Community Service Opportunities](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/high-school-community-service-opportunities/) - [Internships-Undergraduate and Graduate](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/internships-undergraduate-and-graduate/) - [Research Opportunities](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/research-opportunities/) - Engagement with Congregations - [Resources for Worship and Reflection](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/resources-for-worship-and-reflection/) - [Age-Friendly Congregations](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/age-friendly-congregations/) - [Church Resources](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/church-resources/) - [About the Center](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/about-the-center/) - [Overview](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/about-the-center/) - [Meet Rev. Beth Long-Higgins](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/meet-rev-beth-long-higgins/) - [Advisory Committee](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/advisory-committee/) - [Press Releases](https://www.abundantaging.org/category/press-releases/) - [Contact the Center](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/contact/) # Camp Connections Across Generations By [Anna Redd](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/author/anna-redd)  •  October 08, 2026 ![](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/hubfs/AdobeStock_170419258_Preview.jpeg) As a kid, I spent most summers anticipating the week I would spend at summer camp. Those five or six days that would be filled with exploring the wilderness, meeting new friends, and often reconnecting with old ones. Many of my fondest memories are not of the activities themselves but of the people who made them meaningful. Counselors and staff guided me throughout each week, sharing their experiences and opening my eyes to a world beyond my own. I still think of Kat, one of the last counselors I had. She was from New Zealand and told us stories about life on the other side of the world. When I struggled to keep up with the rest of the cabin on the rock climbing wall, she stayed with me, guided me and cheered me on. Those moments revealed how camp can bring generations together: older mentors pass along their knowledge and stories, while younger campers carry those lessons forward. Those memories stayed with me and inspired me to imagine working at a camp someday, although the right opportunity had yet to come along. That changed in the spring of 2026, when I learned that I would be returning to the wilderness to help bring the camp experience to the next generation. I was once again anticipating the weeks I would spend at summer camp, though this time through a different lens. It was my turn to be a guide and lend a helping hand to our campers. I was filled with both excitement and nerves. Would I be a good fit for my campers? Would they like me? Would I be a good mentor? My nervousness began to fade as soon as I arrived. My fellow counselors greeted me with warmth and joy, made sure I had something to eat before settling in, and included me from day one. My co-counselor, Natalie, an elder millennial, became my guide during those weeks. As a seasoned counselor, she was confident and calm, and she gave me plenty of opportunities to catch my breath. I quickly learned that neither of us was afraid to put ourselves out there or sacrifice our coolness for the sake of the campers. Our outgoing personalities and shared ability to bring the campers together helped us connect. We also exchanged stories about where we grew up. Natalie’s journey from New York to New England and then San Diego gave her plenty of interesting stories, compared to mine from Ohio. Nonetheless, we found plenty of common ground.  My campers were some of the most interesting kids I had ever met. If there was one thing I learned, it was that they were undeniably and unapologetically themselves. I worried that we would have nothing in common, but they constantly reminded me of my younger self. One camper and I bonded over our love for a sketch-comedy YouTube channel. We quoted it to each other and shared our favorite moments and memories. Another camper told me about a mixtape their father had made for them to listen to as they fell asleep. Many of the songs were classics from my childhood, and we played them as we got ready each morning. A handful of campers and I also connected over our experiences with mental health challenges and overstimulation; we were there for each other. Over the course of that week in the woods, sleeping in the night breeze, hiking around camp, and sharing everyday moments, we built memories that would last far beyond our time together. I learned that we are more alike that I previously thought. I learned that these kids are incredibly creative, hilarious, and are capable to achieving anything they can come up with. Years after counselors like Kat made camp feel larger than life, I finally understood what it meant to create that experience for someone else. I arrived hoping to become a guide for my campers, but I left recognizing how much I had learned from Natalie, my fellow counselors, and the campers themselves. I left with hope for our next generation and excitement to see how they change the world. Camp had once given me memories to carry forward; now, I hope that one day my campers will think of me and remember their time at camp just as fondly.   - - - - [RETURN TO BLOG](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/) ## About the Author ### Anna Redd [View all articles by Anna Redd](https://blog.unitedchurchhomes.org/author/anna-redd) [![Ruth Frost Parker Center for Abundant Aging](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/wp-content/uploads/UCH_RFPCAA_Horiz_4c-1-1.png "Ruth Frost Parker Center for Abundant Aging")](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/the-center-for-abundant-aging/) #### Educational Opportunities - [Overview](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/) - [Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/clinical-pastoral-education-cpe/) - [Quellhorst Endowment Fund](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/quellhorst-scholars/) - [High School Community Service Opportunities](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/high-school-community-service-opportunities/) - [Internship-Undergraduate and Graduate](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/internships-undergraduate-and-graduate/) - [Research Opportunities](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/educational-opportunities/research-opportunities/) #### Engagement with Congregations - [Resources for Worship and Reflection](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/resources-for-worship-and-reflection/) - [Age-Friendly Congregations](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/age-friendly-congregations/) - [Church Resources](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/church-resources/) #### About the Center - [Overview](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/about-the-center/) - [Meet Rev. Beth Long-Higgins](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/meet-rev-beth-long-higgins/) - [Advisory Committee](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/parker-center/advisory-committee/) - [Press Releases](https://www.abundantaging.org/category/press-releases/) Standards of Conduct [United Church Homes, Inc. (UCH) complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude or treat people different because of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, disability, genetic information or ancestry. Spanish: Chinese: German: Arabic: Pennsylvanian Dutch: Russian: French: Vietnamese: Korean: Italian: Japanese: Dutch: Ukrainian: Romanian: Albanian: Korean: Bengali: Polish: Tagalong.](https://www.unitedchurchhomes.org/wp-content/themes/uch-theme/assets/pdf/UCH-Discrimination-Policy.pdf) © 2026 United Church Homes, Inc. All Rights Reserved.