Latest news with #Losh
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Volunteers come to rescue of Camp Barnabas after April storm
Camp Barnabas is known as a place that has shown love to people with special needs for more than 30 years, but after an April storm, it was the camp's turn to be loved. 'I know what we mean to other people, but it's been cool to be on the receiving end of that love,' said Abby Smith, marketing director at Camp Barnabas. 'It's been great for our staff to feel the purpose of our mission.' Located near Purdy, the Christian summer camp has been welcoming campers since 1994. Campers are individuals ages 7 and up with a variety of diagnoses — developmental and physical disabilities, chronic illnesses, autism spectrum disorder, cancer, hemophilia, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, amputated limbs, atypically formed limbs, visual impairment, hearing impairment, spina bifida and more. Campers never age out of Camp Barnabas. It hosts campers 50 to 60 years old who have been coming for decades. There are nine weeks of camp, each tailored toward a specific age group and diagnosis. Smith said staff members want to provide an incredible week for campers, but the camp also provides an important respite for families and caregivers. On April 29, the 120-acre camp was struck by straight-line winds of 80 to 90 mph from a storm traveling through Newton and Barry counties. A few people were at the camp, but there were no injuries. Smith said there was extensive tree damage, with around 70 trees downed, and three of their camper cabins were damaged by falling trees. Bernadette Losh, Camp Barnabas CEO, was just arriving at the camp that morning. She said she tried to punch in the code to the front gate and then retreated to her car to ride out the storm. Once the storm passed, she got a first look at the damage. Staff members were facing crunch time anyway as they prepared for summer camp, and the cleanup on top of that seemed like too much. 'The more we looked around camp and saw damage, I did think for a moment we wouldn't be able to get all of this done in time for our campers,' Losh said. 'But we had volunteers arriving almost immediately, people started coming just within hours after the storm. That really gave me hope and a reminder that God is bigger.' Initial concern extended to campers and their families as well. On social media immediately after the storm, campers expressed their worry the camp wouldn't open. Calls and messages followed. Losh said nothing was going to stop them from fulfilling the promise to their campers to open for the summer. They had a brief moment of defeat, and then staff went into rally mode. The response included around 400 volunteers and 40 groups, including Samaritan's Purse, Missouri Disaster Relief, churches and businesses. Arvest Bank brought a grill to feed volunteers. After their initial worry, campers took to social media and started encouraging helpers, cheering them on as they moved trees and expressing thanks. 'It was so cool to see the camper response on social media,' Smith said. 'We were excited to tell them we were going to open on time, and the volunteers have shown up.' Camp Barnabas is opening as scheduled June 1. Tree debris has been cleared and put into a 9-foot-high pile at the back of the camp. The cabins are the last of the repairs to be done and those roofs will be repaired this week. 'There was a day when I looked out from the office and there was literally a line of trucks with trailers here,' Losh said. 'I just stood there crying because where did they come from and how did they just take off work? If it wasn't for the people who gave their time and energy, we wouldn't be ready for campers.' The support and volunteer response from the area remind them of the importance of their mission, Smith said. The camp office has been inundated with calls of support and prayer. A camper even called and sang 'Amazing Grace' to the staff. For Losh, the recovery effort was all about the campers. She said many campers have countdowns to the first day of camp that they update on social media. They post 10 days until camp, sometimes even 365 days until camp. 'To watch that number tick down, they've been waiting for a year,' Losh said. 'Camp is so important to them. When they pull in and they're hanging out the car window waving to us and their cars are painted, that's why we're here.'
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Missouri summer camp suffers storm damage weeks before welcoming campers: 'We need your prayers'
PURDY, Mo. – A Christian summer camp that welcomes about 1,500 campers each summer was hit by a possible tornado Tuesday, damaging the camp a month before opening day. Camp Barnabas is located roughly 60 miles south of Springfield in Purdy, Missouri. On June 1, the camp is scheduled to welcome its first campers of the year, and in two weeks, staff are set to return to the camp for training. The camp gives people with disabilities and chronic illnesses a unique summer camp experience. However, after three cabins and other parts of the summer camp were damaged by strong winds and falling trees, Camp Barnabas needs all the help it can get. Barnabas Foundation CEO Bernadette Losh was just outside the camp gates when the storms started to pick up. Losh said she really didn't know the storms were coming. She said it was sunny one minute and trees started falling the next. "I was stuck outside the gate," Losh said. "A tree came down on the right side of me, and then a tree came down on the left side." Losh said that's when she started to wonder if she was in the midst of a tornado or just a strong storm. She was in her car as the storm moved in. "It's a bit unnerving when your car's moving, and you're not driving it," Losh said. Losh said she said a prayer as the car shook, and just waited. Once the worst had passed, and she was able to get through the camp gates, Losh started surveying the damage. "We have 123 acres that camp sits on," Losh said. "There is not an acre that's not touched by this damage." No one was injured at the camp during the storm, Losh said. Thunderstorms Packing 91-Mph Winds Damage Homes In Springfield, Missouri Camp Barnabas welcomes campers from all over the U.s. and even Canada every summer. Losh said the camp needs to get all the clean up and repair work done before the staff arrives for training in two weeks. She said the campers are on edge to know if the camp will be ready for them in time. "They want to know. 'How is camp, and can we come?'" Losh said. Losh said there were 100 people volunteering to help clean up at the camp on Wednesday afternoon. She said anything people can give will help. "We need your prayers, we need more people to come and help us with the debris clean up," Losh said. She said monetary donations would also be extremely helpful. To find out how to help Camp Barnabas, visit their article source: Missouri summer camp suffers storm damage weeks before welcoming campers: 'We need your prayers'
