H2O Leaves Lasting Impression on All

H2O participants engaged the administrators in hands-on sessions that demonstrated the work done during the four summer camp sessions, which run two weeks each. They had the admin team members try their hand at adapting toys so that children with disabilities can enjoy them, which is the work campers did at the organization RePlay for Kids. They also created fabric bags with Sew4Service, an organization of creatives who quilt, crochet, and knit items with upcycled fabric that are then donated to local charities.   

Assistant Superintendent Steven Ast is one administrator who found the experience very worthwhile.

“It was rewarding to participate in the activities while also seeing the great experiences our students have through their work with H2O or by participating in their camp.  We are so fortunate to have H2O in Lakewood, and I am so proud of the students' involvement,” Ast said.

In speaking with several campers and a counselor, it is clear that the impact of H2O is not just felt by the organizations that it helps, but by the students themselves.

Camper Luci Jones: “Knowing I contributed to helping people made my days so much better. It gives me a spark of hope for the future. It (service) inspires me to be a better person.” Luci, who was a first-year camper, took that inspiration directly into her freshman year and has already signed up for fall H2O volunteer opportunities.

Like many young people, camper Cecilia Ingersoll did not imagine two weeks of fun when her mom suggested summer service camp. Cecilia readily admits she was wrong: “It was fun.” She also appreciated the fact that summer gave her a chance to meet people with the same interests and gave her insight into how she can get involved in service projects on her own.

Counselor Shontavia Newson became a counselor because of the profound impact being a camper had on her. “It made me love Lakewood,” Shontavia said, adding that her goal when she became a counselor was to “make sure the campers felt the same magic as I did as a camper.”

H2O is led by Emmie Hutchison and Kim Griffith. Besides the service camp, H2O operates a middle school club and offers a full calendar of service opportunities for high school students in Lakewood.  In addition to service, the H2O leaders work with students on being advocates for causes that matter to them and educating their communities about those issues. One such issue that the group has delved into in recent years is the huge amount of textile waste in the world from the fashion industry’s oversupply and how learning to thrift and upcycle can help.

Beyond camp and volunteering during the school year, the ultimate goal, says Griffith, is “to inspire youth so that they feel they can make a difference, even without H2O.”

If Cecilia, Luci, and Shontavia are any indication, the goal has been met.