Little Moments Matter

At Heart 4 Kidz, the impact of our camp is best told through the voices of those who experience it firsthand. Here, you’ll find real stories and testimonials from a foster parent, a former camper, a camp counselor, our camp director, and a referring agency—each sharing their unique perspective on how Royal Family Kids Camp transforms lives. These personal accounts illustrate the deep, lasting effects our program has on children, families, and the dedicated individuals who serve them. We hope these stories inspire you as much as they inspire us!

Foster Parent Story

Dear volunteers,

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Last week, I dropped my son off at camp after years of struggle—trauma, PTSD, ADHD, and extreme behaviors that have made life incredibly challenging for our family. He’d recently been suspended from school for weeks and had even run away just days before camp. The thought of five days and nights apart was both a relief and a worry. I hoped he’d find his own little paradise while I held my breath, wondering how he would fare.

When I came to pick him up, I was overwhelmed by what I saw. The staff told me he’d smiled, had fun, and made it through—even helping other campers! Then he ran into the room with a huge smile, hugged me, and proudly showed me the crosses he’d made for his siblings and a photo album full of happy memories. For five days, he was loved, accepted, and free to simply be a kid. I couldn’t stop crying out of sheer joy. Thank you for giving him—and our family—this incredible gift.

Former Camper Story

My name is Amanda Wahl, and I am a former camper and now a Counselor in Training (CIT) for Royal Family Kids. Camp has profoundly shaped my life. Adopted from Russia at age two, I struggled with Reactive Attachment Disorder and didn’t know how to love or be loved. When my brother and I were invited to attend Royal Family Kids Camp, everything changed. For five summers, camp became a safe place where I felt loved and discovered my purpose. It helped me see the good in others, grow in my faith, and realize I could turn to God during tough times. The impact was so transformative that I knew I wanted to return as staff to give back and help other kids feel the same love and acceptance that changed my life.

Royal Family Kids Camp is more than just a week of fun—it’s a place of healing, growth, and unforgettable memories. Whether it was singing songs I still know by heart, receiving letters I treasure to this day, or simply being surrounded by counselors who showed me I mattered, camp taught me to embrace myself and face challenges with courage. Now, as a CIT, it’s incredible to be part of helping kids discover their own worth, just as I did. Royal Family Kids Camp truly changes lives, and I’m so grateful to be a part of this amazing organization.

Volunteer Story

I’ve had the pleasure of volunteering with RKFC summer camp for three years. In my first year of volunteering, I was the counselor of a group of eleven-year-old girls who were “graduating” from camp—meaning, this was the last year they were permitted to participate. I have had a number of powerful and moving experiences over the past few years, but nothing compares to the experience of watching the children arrive at camp. At RFKC, we strive to make every child feel like royalty. We approach this by attempting to demonstrate each child’s incomparable value as a child of God. One way we accomplish this is by creating poster board signs for the campers with each of their names. We hold these and cheer as the campers arrive. Watching the buses full of children who have had experiences with foster placement and child services arrive, seeing the smiles and excitement on their faces through the windows, and seeing the counselors cheer and jump for them is a beautiful experience. It is an honor to demonstrate love to these kids and help them see their value during the few days we have.

Each day at camp, we play games, participate in activities, swim, and attend short plays performed by the camp staff that demonstrate the core values RFKC teaches from the Bible, such as purpose, value, belonging, and transformation. With each day filled to the brink with activities and fun, all staff and most of the campers are ready for bed at the end of the day, with the exception of those campers who aren’t ready for the fun to end. The motivation each staff member carries through the day is, as expressed by RFKC, to “share a common goal of caring for those Jesus referred to as ‘the least of these.'” RFKC camps have been some of the most memorable experiences of my life. Though I am entirely exhausted by the end, I always leave feeling overwhelming fulfillment from the opportunity to love those who need it most and to do work that pleases the Lord. The time off of work is worth it each summer, and I know I will arrange my life in advance to ensure I can return to camp each year. RFKC is no ordinary summer camp, and its impact on children’s lives overflows in abundance into the lives of its staff. RFKC is a beautiful example of service that I will always return to.

Dear Supporter,

I’m grateful you’re here.

I’ve been part of Royal Family Kids Camp since 2006, first as a counselor-in-training (CIT), then, as a counselor for many years, later Dean of Women, and now Director. Most of my time has been spent not leading from the front, but sitting beside children; listening, noticing, learning.

What I’ve learned might not be what you expect.

I have worked with every age group we serve, from ages 7 to 11. The children who come to camp come from what we call “the hardest of hard places.” Those words are real. I have walked alongside children who have experienced trauma no child should ever have to endure. Kids often arrive carrying fear, uncertainty, and survival instincts that show up in ways we must learn to understand, not correct. I’ve known a child who was kidnapped, taken across state lines, molested, recovered, and brought directly to camp before even meeting a case worker or being placed in a home. I’ve sat up all night with children who are afraid to fall asleep because of who might come into their room at night. I’ve seen children quietly tuck food in their pockets because they don’t know when they will eat again. I’ve run miles and miles with kids who don’t know where they are running to or what they are running from.

I’ve come to understand that the most important thing I bring to camp is myself.

Before I give guidance, before I try to solve anything, I ask: how am I showing up right now? As a caregiver, as a person, as someone willing to see, to hear, to understand? Can I make eye contact? Can I truly listen? Can I sit in silence if that is what is needed? Can I empower instead of direct? Can I honor who they are, instead of rushing to change what I don’t understand?

Because camp isn’t what people often assume.

It’s not about perfectly planned activities.
It’s not about fixing broken things.
It’s not even about having fun every second.

Yes, we laugh. Yes, we play. Yes, there is joy.

And underneath all of that, something deeper is happening.

Camp is about what it feels like, maybe for the first time, to live without fear.
It’s about connection that doesn’t require explanation.
It’s about treating every child like they matter, like they are worthy, like they belong.
It’s about moments; small, quiet, powerful moments, that turn into memories a child carries long after the week is over.

I am endlessly grateful for the people who choose to come alongside this mission. Those who bring themselves, fully present, to love and serve each other and our campers. Those who pray for the work happening here. Those who share our story and help others understand the power of what can happen in a single week at camp. And those who support us financially, making it possible for these moments to exist.

You’re not just helping run a camp, because what happens at camp is not small.

You’re helping create a space where a child can breathe differently.
Where they can feel seen.
Where they can begin, even briefly, to believe something new about themselves.

It is sacred, it is lasting, and it changes lives. I don’t take that lightly.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for being someone who felt something when they heard about this work and decided to lean in instead of look away.

With gratitude,
Jennifer Comella
Director, Royal Family Kids Camp 133
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio