When Rosemarie Blake's corps officer told her that someone from the corps wanted to sponsor her to attend a moms and tots camp, she could hardly believe it.

“I was thrilled,” she recalls. “To give me the opportunity to go somewhere for a week with my kids—nobody had ever done something like that for me before.”

Blake, her four-year-old daughter and two-year-old son live in London, Ont., where they attend Westminster Park Corps, but Blake is originally from Jamaica. When she was first invited to attend the Ontario Great Lakes Division's moms and tots camp at Jackson's Point, Ont., in 2013, it couldn't have come at a better time.

“I'm a single mom, I wasn't working and it was stressful because I have no family in London,” she says. Having all their needs taken care of at camp meant a worry-free, fun-filled week for Blake and her children. “It was like getting the royal treatment. I loved it.”

Taking a Break

Rosemarie Blake with her daughter, Eneviah, and son, Acaari

Every summer, about 70 moms and 110 children from the division descend upon Jackson's Point Conference Centre, where they enjoy a full schedule of activities and teaching, giving moms and kids a break and helping them grow spiritually.

The majority of the families come through the Army's community and family services throughout the division. As with Blake, the cost of a typical summer camp would usually put these kinds of programs out of reach. But with this camp, about 80 percent of families receive some level of subsidization, ensuring that no one is left out due to finances.

The camp includes children up to the age of six, but older kids can still get a break, attending the Army's Blaze camp for seven- to 10-year-olds at Jackson's Point, or Camp Newport in Huntsville, Ont., for children aged 11 to 17.

“The whole family is taken care of,” smiles Pamela Nickell, who co-directs the moms and tots camp with Major Wanda Vincent, divisional director of women's ministries, Ontario Great Lakes Division.

Each morning, the moms have a devotional time, followed by an activity period where they can do things such as arts and crafts or learn to prepare healthy meals on a budget. During this time, their children attend a vacation Bible school-style program, where they sing songs, learn Scripture, play games and participate in other fun activities. Highlights of the week include a carnival with 12 stations of games, a scavenger hunt and a wagon ride.

Children of God
Last summer was the first time Colleen Robson and her two boys, aged five and six, attended the moms and tots camp and, months later, she's still seeing the impact.

“They loved it,” she says. “They still talk about their friends from camp and want to go and see them.

“They enjoyed the lessons, and they still sing some of the songs that they learned,” she adds, noting that her six-year-old in particular has taken the message of camp to heart. “It had quite an effect on him. Now, he turns to God and prays when he needs help.”

For Robson and her children, one of the best parts of camp was simply the time they were able to spend together as a family. “They enjoyed time with Mom where I wasn't cleaning and cooking and being busy,” says Robson, a stay-at-home mom. “They're still asking me, 'Mom, when do we get to go back to camp?' ”

Though her son is much younger than Robson's children, Sonja Grabowski also noticed the significant impact the moms and tots camp had on her child, Jack, who was eight months old at the time. Due to the expense of daycare, Jack spent most of his time at home with Grabowski and had little interaction with other children.

“It was life-changing for him, to see other little children walk and talk and crawl,” she says. “He started exploring his world, he started crawling and he learned so much from the other children.

“He was a different boy after that week.”

“We're Here for You”

Sonja Grabowski enjoys the moms and tots camp at Jackson's Point with her son, Jack

Going to camp was the first real break Grabowski had had since giving birth to Jack. A small-business owner in Bracebridge, Ont., Grabowski was not able to take any time off. At times, it can be a struggle to balance being a mom during the day and working at night after Jack goes to sleep. The moms and tots camp provided some much-needed relief.

“When I first got there, one of the women said, 'If you need a hand, ask anybody. We're not here for us; we're here for you,' ” she says.

Having her needs met meant that Grabowski could truly relax. “It's such a basic thing, but just being able to go there and have every meal provided for you is a big deal for moms.”

On the Thursday night of camp, the moms have their own semi-formal dinner while their children watch a movie or do crafts. The camp staff and volunteers decorate the hall and the moms are encouraged to dress up. Having this event as part of the week is important, says Nickell, “because a lot of these moms don't get this kind of stuff. They don't get pampered like this.”

On the previous day, one of the camp staff takes photos of the moms and their kids. These pictures are printed and framed, and then given to the moms at the dinner.

“That's special for the moms,” says Nickell, “to get a family photo that's already framed and ready to be displayed.”

Encountering Christ
Having their needs taken care of also means the moms are better able to focus on the spiritual aspects of the camp. “For some women, this camp is their first exposure to Christ,” says Nickell, adding that 12 moms became Christians at camp last year.

“We've had several moms go to camp over the years who had nothing to do with churches, and now they're very involved in the corps,” she says.

Last summer, devotions were led by Lieutenant Kristen Jackson-Dockeray, corps officer at Niagara Orchard Community Church in Niagara Falls, Ont.

Grabowski says that Lieutenant Jackson-Dockeray's lessons helped her become more open to spirituality.

“Her sermons were really accessible,” she says. “I think a lot of people, including myself, had an easy time relating to her because she's young, she's going through the same things we are, having children and the struggles that entails.”

“Kristen did an amazing job with the teaching,” agrees Robson, who attends Richmond Hill Community Church, Ont. “Before camp, I never fully understood what grace meant, but now I know that God's grace is always greater than our sin. It helped me understand how forgiving God is.”

For Blake, these devotional times were the best part of the moms and tots camp.

“On Sunday mornings at church, I can't always focus because I'm looking after my children,” she says. “I liked having that one-on-one time with God at camp.”

The most significant moment of her time at camp came during an informal testimony time. As she sensed God speaking to her, Blake felt compelled to stand up and share her testimony through a song called Bigger than Anything.

“I don't have the best voice, and I'm not one to stand up and do this kind of thing, but there were a lot of teary eyes when I finished singing,” she says. “I feel blessed that I could bless other people through my song.”

Both Blake and Robson kept notes from the devotional times at camp to help them bring the lessons they learned home with them. “I revisit those notes on a consistent basis because I want to keep it fresh,” says Robson, who says she will definitely attend the camp again this year.

The fact that so many women come back is a testimony to the camp's effectiveness, says Nickell. “The moms realize that this is a different place. Everybody likes everybody here, and nobody treats anybody differently because of what we have or don't have.”

“I felt very welcome on so many levels,” says Grabowski. “I'm already saving up to go again.”