Date: Fri 26-Jul-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Ashlar-Summer-Friends-camp

Full Text:

Ashlar Camp: Summer Friendships That Reach Across Generations

B Y S TEVE B IGHAM

At age 88, Mabel Murphy has gone back to camp and she's loving every moment of

it.

Mabel is participating in the Ashlar of Newtown's "Summer Friends" camp,

which, in its second year, is receiving rave reviews for its success. The camp

provides children the opportunity to share their time, friendship and energy

with the senior citizens living at the Toddy Hill Road health care facility.

The effort has been rewarding to both generations.

"I just love the kids. I wouldn't miss camp for the world," said Mabel.

By bringing the generations together, Ashlar of Newtown's "Summer Friends"

program is helping youngsters to understand and appreciate what it means to

grow old, while enjoying many of the traditional summer activities at the same

time. Ashlar developed the program hoping to dispel any fears children might

have about aging and nursing homes.

There are currently 14 kids in the daily camp and about 15 residents who

participate on a regular basis.

Shane Bloomberg, 9, a student at Head O' Meadow School, returned to the Ashlar

camp this year after having a great time last summer. Shane said he never got

much out of the other camps he attended because many of the campers were

always running around making a lot of noise.

"It wasn't very relaxing and sometimes I got pushed around," he recalled.

"It's really fun here and everybody's nice. I get to meet with the elderly

people and they tell me stories about when they were little."

Shane admitted feeling a bit uneasy the first day he arrived at camp last

year, not knowing what the senior citizens would be like, but he now looks

forward to his day at Ashlar.

The seniors are already predicting a victory over the young campers in next

week's wheelchair relays. Annabelle DeMuth jokes with the kids that she's the

odds-on favorite since she already spends a good part of her day in the

two-wheeled vehicle.

"This is the greatest thing," she said Tuesday morning as she joined the

youthful campers in an arts & crafts soap carving session. "The kids are what

make this camp so special."

Ashlar Community Resources Manager Evelyn Lawrance sees the camp meeting the

needs of both the children and the seniors.

"The seniors have a calming effect on the children. Even if the kids are wound

up, they'll settle right down when the seniors come in," she explained. "The

kids are conscientious about being careful and caring and the senior citizens

think the kids are special. They're sort of energized by the whole thing."

Camp coordinator Tricia Kirrane, 23, was recently hired as a teacher in the

Torrington school system, but has organized the Ashlar program the past two

summers. She admitted being unsure of whether the program was going to work at

first, but has been amazed at how everyone has benefited from the experience.

"From day one it's been wonderful," she said. "The seniors' faces light up

everytime they see the kids."

Each day from 9 am to 3 pm, children participate in at least two camp

activities with the seniors, ranging from craft projects to musical

performances. The campers also meet with the residents to share life stories,

which will be recorded in life history books. The remainder of the day is

devoted to outside sports and traditional camp activities, but as Ms Kirrane

points out, the campers are always anxious to get back inside with their

"summer friends."

Ashlar of Newtown's first two-week session ends Friday, July 26. The next

session, for children ages 8-10, kicks off Monday and runs through August 9.

The third session is for children 11-12 and will feature programming geared to

introduce campers to careers in health care and volunteer opportunities. The

camp is subsidized by Ashlar of Newtown and costs $100 per session.

For more information, call Evelyn Lawrance at 426-5847.