25 Years of Camp To Belong

Let me tell you about a pretty remarkable person. She says that one ripple can make waves of change. She is steadfast in this belief and it has aided her in creating a factory of memories for America’s siblings in foster care. Thousands upon thousands of kids across 13 states and some in Australia, have benefited from that belief system. Now that you know what drives her, let me introduce you to Lynn Price, Founder of Camp To Belong.

Lynn was walking around living a happy childhood when she was rocked by the news she was adopted, moreover, she had a sister out in the world. A tough bit of news to absorb for an 8-year-old from Illinois. When you get to know about Lynn Price, you will find that she doesn’t see the dark side of a situation. No, Lynn instead looks for the positives in a situation, a trait surely learned at a young age. With the knowledge of her newly found sister, Andi, was living on the other side of town. They would see one another over the years, but it was college where their relationship truly blossomed into sisterhood.

She attended a top tier college, found a talent in marketing and landed an impressive job when she left school. How impressive? Helping to launch ESPN impressive. So valuable to the team at ESPN was she they asked her to open the Dallas office of the company. It’s that enthusiasm for a project, mixed with an undeniable talent for getting the job done that has served her well in her life. She would help the W Group, a satellite communications firm, expand their cable Television business, as well as The Golf Channel. It appeared to be no ceiling for her career ascent and then tragedy in the form of her mentor and boss passing away. With a new baby on the way and the loss of her mentor, she set off on her own.

Running a business of any kind of on your own is a daunting task, running a communications firm from the ground up is a different animal to tame. But Price & Associates excelled, even earning awards along the way.

It was her next move that would set the stage for a life devoted to America’s foster youth. In 1994 she sold her business and moved to Las Vegas to raise her family and volunteer as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) and at a children’s shelter. You see, foster kids were never far from her mind as she went through life. In college she organized the fraternities and sororities to work on the prevention of child abuse. And there was of course, her own story and Andi. Now she was on the frontlines. What she saw would be her call to action.

Mystified by the statistics of siblings separated by foster care, 75% of those who enter the system are separated from their brother or sister, she was compelled to act. She’d had success bringing siblings together through her role as a CASA, but more was needed. Much more.

These reunions of siblings needed to be done on a much grander scale and with much more frequency. But how and where could she create a safe atmosphere for these estranged family members to reconnect and solidify life-long bonds? Summer camp!

1995 Lynn Price used all that she had learned in her life, everything from marketing and organization to selflessness and empathy, to create Camp To Belong. It was to be a week long camping experience that would allow the kids to play, explore and get to spend time together. That was the key to the whole idea; together. “My sister, Andi and I missed out on sharing our childhood days - it is that need of developing a strong sense of belonging that Camp To Belong gifts to our resilient campers,” she has been quoted as saying in regards to the importance of siblings being together.

Fast forward 25 years later. I’m driving through a part of the Appalachian Trail here in my home state of Pennsylvania. I live an hour or two away from the newest addition to the Camp To Belong family of camps; Camp To Belong River Valley. I was slated to meet up with Lynn here a few days earlier. Family obligations kept me away from our meeting but I wasn’t going to miss a chance to see the camp in person.

I’ve been Lynn-adjacent since I started the magazine. Something always gets in the way of us meeting face to face. She has 13 camps and a camp in Australia she has to tend to. She’s a highly sought-after speaker and on top of all that, a mother and an Ashoka Fellow which is a group of select social entrepreneurs and changemakers from across the globe. She’s a busy person, part of why she’s been so successful. We’ll catch up with one another someday, I’m sure of it.

I don’t get to this part of the state that often. It’s gorgeous here. Winding roads carved through mountains. Streams around every bend. What a sight for these kids to see on their way to a week long adventure. As I made my way, passing quaint houses and holiday cabins, I started to think about my brothers and sisters. I didn’t know I had an older brother and sister until I was in my teens but was fairly close to my younger brother who l lived with. He was too smart for the teen version of me to get too close to, he kind of intimidated me with his brain. But when I went into care, I kept the best memories we had and would get to see him during the visits I’d take back to my hometown. I got to thinking about how much fun it would have been to get to see him for a week each summer at camp. We were both Boy Scouts, camp was something we shared I moved away. Would have been nice to have had a Camp To Belong to link up with him and watch him grow.

That’s what Lynn has created; a touchstone for these kids. A place they can come to and make memories without the worries of the world around them. If at least for a week.

Entering the grounds of the camp, I started to get as excited as the kids must be. My eyes darted back and forth at the many activity areas. A horse stable. A pond with a canoe on the shore at the ready. A rope course. An outdoor stage. A pool. I started to get jealous that I was only to spend a short time here. Cabins. Hiking trails. What a week these kids were having!

After finding my way to their specific camp, I saw something that resonated with me. It was a girl, alone, hitting a tetherball around a pole. She was clearly waiting on someone. Just passing the time until that person arrived. Again, I think of Lynn Price, by herself, her sister on the other side of town, separated by circumstance. Waiting. The little girl I saw didn’t have to wait long for a playmate to arrive.

The area was an oval of seemingly new cabins. The air was clean and filled with the sounds of birds, critters scurrying about the forest floor and the most important ingredient that makes Camp To Belong so special; laughter of children. The weather was great, not too humid, though no one told the bugs that information. What a small price to be to be in nature for a week. Among the smiling faces I found the Camp Directors; Jennifer Strohl and Samii Emdur.

It takes a special personality to give up yourself and your time for a cause. Volunteers have always had my admiration. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet hundreds and hundreds of volunteers in my time as the Editor of this magazine and the size of their hearts never ceases to amaze. Hours away from home, time away from family and devotion to a cause without compensation is a mesmerizing mindset. This is what keeps Camp To Belong thriving. It’s the people that make the experience special.

The Camp Directors regaled me with tales of the week. There was a Birthday Party Night, where the kids exchanged meaningful gifts for the birthday that would likely miss this year. There was Inspiration Night, where storytelling leaves kids excited about their futures. They told me all about the swimming, hiking, bonding, art, laughter and joy the week had brought with the same enthusiasm as the kids they were serving.

Soon there would be more activities for them to tend to and we would say are goodbyes. Driving away I couldn’t help but think of a little girl in Illinois who just wanted to be around her sister and where that need has taken her.

13 camps in the US, 1 in Australia. Over 10,000 kids reunited with their siblings. 2 books, Real Belonging: Giving Siblings Their Right to Reunite and Vision For A Change, A Social Entrepreneur’s Insights From the Heart. Named a CBS American Hero. Ashoka Fellow. Oprah’s Use Your Life award. A Presidential Service Award. Membership in the National Speakers Association. Creator of a million memories.

Twenty five years later, that little girl created one hell of a ripple.