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Our Mission
The Gales Creek Camp Foundation is dedicated to providing camp experiences for children, youth and families directly affected by Type I diabetes. We are committed to fostering the transition toward independence by integrating the management of diabetes with social and life skills. |
Having fun and gaining confidence
Gales Creek Camp is a place where children and teens gain confidence in managing their diabetes. Our goal is to help each child grow toward living an independent life. Campers learn to test themselves and give injections. They learn how food and exercise are linked with insulin, and how sports, illness, and stress interact with diabetes.
Perhaps most important of all, Gales Creek Campers learn that diabetes doesn't have to prevent them from living active, satisfying lives. Staff members, many of whom have diabetes themselves, model healthy habits and demonstrate that children with diabetes go on to college, enter the work force, and become successful adults.
Indoor Activities
Arts & crafts, such as painting, ceramics and beading; indoor games and dancing. Educational sessions include nutrition lessons, acquiring coping skills and fostering social interaction.
Outdoor Activities
Soccer, softball, volleyball, field hockey, basketball, tennis, badminton, ping-pong, hiking and swimming. Also creek hikes, meadow hikes and a sugar-free, bubble gum tree hike!
Special Events
Campfires, carnivals, guest presentations and theme days.
The Gales Creek Camp Staff
A full-time doctor, nurses and a dietitian head up the medical team at Gales Creek Camp. They work hard to monitor campers' diabetes. Campers are very active, so the professionals at Camp pay special attention to dietary and insulin adjustments.
Of course, the Gales Creek staff also includes well-trained counselors, all over age 18. Each counselor is required to spend a full week in training. Physicians and nurses educate them about diabetes and the challenges it presents. Typically, a third of the counselors are former Gales Creek campers who successfully manage their own diabetes.
Gales Creek Camp has full-time lifeguards and various volunteers who organize special projects. The Camp Director typically has a degree in early childhood education, child development or physical education.
As the only ACA accredited camp for children and teens with diabetes in Oregon and Southwest Washington, Gales Creek Camp and its supporters are fully committed to the children they serve.
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