September - St. Augustine Catholic

anymore. He became interested in the
disabilities camps when his brother
volunteered as a camp buddy. Now, Robert
said he couldn’t imagine summer without it.
The diocese recruits and trains teen
volunteers not only for Camp Promise but
also Camp I Am Special and Camp Care for
special needs children and young adults.
Disabilities run the gamut from attention
deficit disorder (ADD) to autism to Down’s
syndrome. The volunteer camp buddies
are assigned a specific camper for whom
they are responsible for around the clock all
week, with the objective that the volunteers
help make their stay the best experience
possible.
This year, Robert’s duties included
feeding Christopher and changing his
diapers, although most of the campers are
more self-sufficient. Christopher was legally
blind so he liked to look at things up close.
Robert noticed he watched television at a
close distance, so the two wandered around
camp looking for things to explore and do,
including playing on the swing set.
“These kids are afflicted with such serious
handicaps and yet they always have a smile
on their face. They never complain and
have an appreciation for everything. They
love the simple things and they don’t take
anything for granted.
“They taught me there really wasn’t
anything too bad that I couldn’t overcome.
I learned to live my life to the fullest. There
are people who need me and I should be
out there helping them. The hardest part
of volunteering at camp is saying goodbye
to them at the end of the week. You build
up a relationship and bond with them like
brothers and so it’s tough to leave them.”
Robert doesn’t mind talking about
his volunteer work with his friends
at St. Joseph Academy, who generally
understands the benefits of community
service. Other kids wonder why he would
give away his summer vacation time at
the camp. As Robert sees it, teens are
preoccupied with trying to make a name
for themselves or to fit in – to find a niche.
But Robert’s reward is developing a sense
of character and patience – something that
may serve him well as he pursues his dream
of joining the military and possibly training
to be a pilot.
Robert said his personal hero is his
mother, who has run marathons and instilled
in her children a sense of determination and
the ability to set goals.
“He has an overwhelming sense
of compassion and dedication
– even if his camper was awake
all night long he is always go,
go, go,” said Jennifer Walsh, 24,
recreational program coordinator
with the Disabilities Ministry at
the diocese. “You never have to
remind Robert to take care of his
campers’ needs before his own,
and he is a phenomenal kid. He
has been asked to work during
the hardest week of all the camps. He serves
as a role model for everybody here.”
Herself a former Camp Promise volunteer
who went on to adopt a camper with special
needs, Walsh said the volunteer program
has spurred a lot of young people to seek
careers in the medical field or in special
education, for example. For the families, the
volunteers provide parents with a welcomed
break. It is easier for them to have some
real free time knowing their child is being
treated with respect. “It is a life changing
experience and everybody learns to be more
patient, less selfish,” she said.
The most mistaken impression about
people with disabilities may be that they are
so different from everyone else; that they are
somehow weird or opposite from us, said
Robert. “But once you get to know them
they become very similar to everyone else;
you have to be able to see through their
disabilities,” he said.
The teen buddies of Camp
Promise tend to their campers every
need the entire week of camp. Here
Robert Bianco enjoys swimming and
fishing with his buddy Christopher.
MARK UDRY
MARK UDRY
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