Before I volunteered at Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp, I thought I was signing up to make a difference in someone else’s life.

Instead, they changed mine.

For nearly 90 years, Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp has given children and adults with developmental, cognitive, and physical disabilities a place where they aren’t defined by limitations—they’re celebrated for their abilities. It’s a place where campers can simply be themselves, try new things, build friendships, and experience the joy of belonging. What I discovered though, is that camp changes more than the campers.

Over the course of a week, I met people who taught me how to find joy in simple moments, how to lead with compassion, how to listen without assumptions, how to celebrate others wholeheartedly, and how to embrace both quiet confidence and unrestrained excitement. I watched people encourage one another through challenges, laugh until everyone around them was laughing too, and create a community where every person mattered.

By the end of camp, I realized I hadn’t just helped create that environment—I had been transformed by it.

Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp is one of the few places where youth and adults with disabilities can spend an entire week focusing on what they can do instead of what they can’t. It is a place of empowerment, friendship, growth, and dignity. Every camper deserves the opportunity to experience that kind of joy, and every volunteer leaves carrying lessons they’ll never forget.

I’m fundraising so that more campers can experience the magic of this place. Every donation helps provide accessible programming, unforgettable adventures, and a community where people are seen for who they are—not for their disabilities. Donations also help get more campers to camp!

If you’re able to give, thank you. And if you can’t, sharing this fundraiser helps more than you know.

MHKC doesn’t just change campers' lives, it changes everyone who walks through its gates.