LABELLE, Fla. — A camp in LaBelle is offering adults with special needs independence while reducing social isolation for both campers and their families.
Trailways Camps provides a safe space where adults with special needs can spend days away from their caregivers, many for the first time. The camp focuses on building confidence through activities such as games, community presentations, and new experiences.
Watch Fox 4's Allie Kaiser hear how the camp has impacted the lives of campers and volunteers:
"Camp is awesome," said Josh, a camper at Trailways.
Jerry Miller co-founded Trailways Camps with his wife in honor of their sons Robert and Benjamin, who both passed away from a rare disease.
"In their honor, we wanted to do something," said Miller.
Miller said he understands the importance of providing caregivers with respite.
"As parents, when we had two special needs adults, it was very difficult to get anytime alone," Miller said.
Julie Rivera has seen how the time at camp has changed her daughter, Emily.
"When she came, her confidence level was off the roof," Julie said.
Emily first attended Trailways as a camper before becoming a volunteer alongside her mother.
Emily said her time as a camper inspired her to give back to others.
"When I was a camper, the volunteers just gave so much, and I was like 'I want to do that for other campers, so they can enjoy camp,'" Emily said.
Now, as a volunteer, Emily said her favorite part of camp is watching others grow.
"Seeing their joy, like they were afraid of something, and then they did it," Emily said.
Miller said creating that joy was always the goal behind Trailways Camps.
"I see that smile on their face, I know that they're having a good time, and that's what's important," Miller said. "We emphasize that they learn that they are something special."
You can find more information about Trailways Camps here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
