On May 26, 2024, the West KY storms left West KY 4-H Camp with damage and no power. Our camping group, which consisted of Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Graves, and Hickman counties, was scheduled to depart for camp the next day. Due to the damage, our group was first postponed by one day, but eventually, the week was canceled due to losing all the food for our group. We had 493 disappointed campers and counselors and had to do something to make it up to them! 

First, each of our counties hosted some camp-related events later that week. Calloway, Graves, and Christian hosted Camp-palooza events, Hickman rented their local pool for a day for their campers, and Carlisle gave out take-home bags for campers. The KY 4-H Foundation provided funds that helped pay for these activities. Then, agents worked diligently with the camp director and State 4-H Office to reschedule dates for 4-H Camp later in the summer. We were able to reschedule between groups over a weekend in July. The July dates resulted in the camp being 1/2 day shorter, so all five extension offices refunded campers as soon as possible. Agents worked diligently to communicate the changes to all our camping families and started re-planning camp in an 8-week time frame. We recruited new counselors, managed the client protection process on new volunteers, rescheduled busses, fixed all the camp schedules, updated camp classes, held new orientations for counselors, and secured funds to pay for additional insurance, hauls, background checks, additional checks purchased for refunds, etc. 

It is important to note that Hickman County initially recruited 32 males, including two teens and four adults, and 30 females, including four teens and two adults. This is an 85% growth increase from summer 2023 to 2024. Our final rescheduled camp numbers resulted in 46 campers, teens, and adults, a 39% growth increase from 2023 camp numbers. The time we spend with youth in the camp setting offers opportunities for them to feel a sense of belonging, have meaningful conversations with caring adults, practice generosity and group decision-making, and experience new activities they typically do not have access to at home. They gain independence by taking on the responsibility of keeping track of their belongings and keeping to the camp schedule. More Hickman County families chose this experience for their youth, as evidenced by camp growth. 

Finally, our rescheduled camping week arrived, and as a group, we could still take 361 people to camp! Youth could participate in classes that included indoor and outdoor cooking, expressive arts, fishing, mindfulness/yoga, science experiments, and more!  Night programs were an excellent way for campers to interact with each other as a team and make meaningful and lasting relationships with fellow campers and their counselors. Many youth, counselors, and parents expressed gratitude for rescheduling camp, and all campers expressed that they could try something new at camp!