Stories of Resilience and Community 

We are so grateful to our Eluna young leaders for sharing their personal experiences in our yearend campaign as they are such meaningful examples of resilience and the power of community, the importance of connection and the long-term continuum of support that our programs offer. Kobe, Eve and Sarah were gracious with their time, and we are so impressed by their commitment to helping campers and staying involved in our community, so we wanted to share more details about why Eluna means so much to them.

Why Camp Mariposa Matters 

Kobe is the youngest of five children of a single mother with a long-term substance use disorder. While his house was often filled with people, he felt isolated and alone. “I wasn’t close to my brothers and sisters, they felt older. I just didn’t talk very much—I never felt safe.”

Bottled-up feelings rose to the surface at school, where he struggled to control angry outbursts that would disrupt his classes and leave him feeling more isolated from the world around him. However, in third grade, he connected with a teacher who saw his potential, understood his situation, and pointed him in the direction of Camp Mariposa.

That year, Kobe went to Camp Mariposa Sarasota for the first time and met kids who had similar experiences whom he connected with. He met adult mentors who encouraged him to express himself and urged him to keep coming back to all the camp sessions every other month throughout the year. Camp Mariposa became “like home” for him.

As he grew up, Kobe became a Junior Counselor and a role model for younger children, remaining active and involved in the program while maintaining friendships and connections with mentors from his Camp Mariposa camper years. His mentors remained touchpoints and important guides for his life. Today, Kobe is in college and working as a mentor and leader at the Camp Mariposa in his area. “I know what a lot of these kids are going through, and I can help. It feels good.” 

Camp Erin Is a Throughline for Eve 

Eve was very young when her dad died. Going to school she felt “different”. Children didn’t know what to say. She and her brother, just two years older, felt alone. That’s when they found Camp Erin.  

“The first time I went I was unsure, but they asked me questions that showed they knew what I was going through. I had to share in front of everyone and it got me out of my shell about the death.”

“I was six when my dad passed. I’ve been to Camp Erin three times, twice as a camper, once as a volunteer. I love it so much I’ve brought three of my friends to camp! I just always feel like it’s a place I understand, a place where I find my people.”

From that first camp Eve attended, she’s always loved the rituals, ceremonies and fun involved— “the Luminary ceremony, the Memory Wall and Gaga Ball are the best!” She says that her mother sent her because she felt that with their dad’s death, her children had to grow up way too soon. Camp Erin gave them the community of other kids and a camp that was fun first. Now, as a college student, Eve hopes to continue to volunteer. “I don’t know what to say! I love Camp Erin. I can’t imagine my life without it.”

Healing and Community Through Adult Mentorship

Volunteering and mentorship can be profoundly important to those who experience it. 

Sarah, 26, a Social Worker and mentor for Camp Mariposa, shares “My father was an alcoholic. But I began my mentoring experience with Camp Erin for the chance to work with kids. Then I heard about Camp Mariposa and realized it would be the better fit for me.” Sarah liked the feeling of giving back and helping children and teens who may be experiencing what she did in her life. Growing up, Sarah shared that she yearned for acceptance in her home. She felt insecure and alone in her experience. 

Sarah decided to go into social work to help children in similar situations find the help they needed. Volunteering became a central part of her life, and Camp Mariposa “has always been a perfect fit.” Sarah is so committed that she has attended Camp Mariposa activities 49 times, including weekly virtual camp sessions through the pandemic. Even today, as she raises her own child, she drives over 2 hours each way for Camp Mariposa sessions every two months. She and other volunteer mentors return again and again—it is a community in which she is able to utilize her training and skills, to empathize with children and teens and to find a version of “family” which she swears she’ll never give up. 

“Now that I’m a mother, my commitment to Camp Mariposa remains the same. I plan to stay a mentor for Camp Mariposa for years to come.”