SOUTH BEND ― Wheelchair art is a tradition at Camp Millhouse, a camp for people with disabilities in the south west of the city, off Kern Road and Indiana 23.
Wednesday was camper Ben Adelman’s first painting, but with the help of camp supervisors, he quickly picked it up and created a masterpiece.
With a variety of accessories and equipment — including paint rollers, both designed to be held and attached to wheelchairs, and flat-bottomed pogo sticks — any camper, regardless of ability, can participate in the wheelchair art activity.
New to the camp this year is a therapy component of programming, made possible by new camp staff who specialize in areas such as art and music therapy.
Ashley Thompson, a recent grad from Union University, traveled all the way from Memphis, Tennessee, to serve as the camp’s artistic director for the summer. As Art Director, she organizes much of the arts programs to ensure they are accessible to all campers.
“Campers can choose the colors and the look,” Thompson said of the wheelchair art. “Of course, modifications are made, but in the end everyone can participate.”
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Thompson is also working to sell the artwork created by campers in community auctions to raise money for Millhouse.
Although Adelman said the wheelchair art is good, it has yet to win the title of his favorite summer activity, which he said is swimming in the camp’s pool.
As Adelman looks forward to celebrating his 40th birthday on Thursday, he said there was nowhere he’d rather spend it than at camp.
“This is my family,” he said.
A long history of summer camp gets some adjustments
Camp Millhouse has accommodated campers of all ages since its inception in 1940, initially serving people with polio.
The camp runs six one-week overnight programs each summer. Of the six weeks, three are designed for 18 year olds and over, one for 7 to 17 year olds, one as a ‘one on one’ program with a staff member working with each camper and the final week is one “Sports week” for independent campers with a competitive spirit.
This summer there is a maximum of 20 campers each week – 10 boys and 10 girls – a far cry from the usual 60 campers per week. Executive Director Diana Breden said the lower enrollment is to ensure COVID-19 safety protocols can be in place, particularly as many campers are at higher risk from the virus.
“We make sure the campers sleep two meters apart,” said Breden. “And three of our older cabins don’t even have enough room for that.”
It costs Camp Millhouse $1,300 to accommodate each camper for the week, but families pay on a voluntary basis with a minimum of $700. The rest of the money comes from donations, Breden said.
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The campground includes the main lodge, sleeping cabins, a recreation center, swimming pool and low ropes course for campers.
Camp Millhouse wants to raise $1.2 million for a new lodge
When Millhouse made the decision in June 2020 to suspend camps for the summer due to the coronavirus pandemic, staff received more bad news: The main lodge floor began to cave in.
With the 2020 and 2021 sessions being offered remotely, the camp had a little more time to create a game plan. Small repairs were made for this summer to keep the lodge safe, but Breden says it can’t make another summer: “It’s about time.”
A new lodge will cost $1.2 million to build, of which approximately $880,000 has already been raised. But demolition of the current lodge will begin on September 1, no matter how much is raised by then. If the camp doesn’t raise the full $1.2 million, it will take out a construction loan, Breden said.
“We really hope that we can make the money by the end of the year,” said Breden.
It has been 30 years since Camp Millhouse constructed a new building; the last time was in 1992 when a sixth cabin was built. The future lodge, designed by Ziolkowski Construction, will have a spacious kitchen, upgraded staff quarters and a separate pharmacy room for campers’ medicines. But Breden says she’s most looking forward to the new bathrooms, which will convert from two crowded gender-specific bathrooms to three individual unisex toilets.
“Right now they have no privacy. There are only shower curtains,” she said. “With the new bathrooms, they will have the privacy and dignity they all deserve.”
Camp Millhouse is hosting a farewell event for the current lodge on August 16th. All former campers, families and community members are invited to the event, Breden said.
“People love this place,” she said, noting that it has been there since the camp opened in 1940. “It will be emotional to say goodbye.”
Email Alysa Guffey at aguffey1@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @AlysaGuffeyNews.