The Taylor Family Foundation (TTFF) funds a variety of camp groups. Some of them are formed by or in collaboration with several organizations. Some, however, were found in more serendipitous ways.
One such group, the Exceptional Needs Network (ENN), was formed by parents of kids with special needs. Back in 2001, parents had very limited access to resources for support. Tri-Valley moms, Peggy James and Susan Houghton, were exploring the possibility of creating a summer camp program for children with autism and they knew Camp Arroyo was a perfect location. The two met with TTFF to explore ideas on how to develop, run and sustain a camp program. Ultimately, this was the motivation and beginning of ENN.
ENN started from the ground up with help from Special Olympics of Northern California and TTFF. They put together a camp activity plan and spread the word to local Tri-Valley families. Their goal was twofold: one, they wanted to give children a chance to have a fun, activity rich experience in a safe camp setting; and two, they wanted to provide parents raising children with special needs a respite.
ENN does not turn campers away because of severity. Each camper has an individual counselor (or two if needed) who assists with activities like zip-lining, getting in and out of the pool, arts and crafts activities, sports, cooperative games, and more. Counselors make sure their camper is well taken care of, gets sleep (poor sleepers join the “Up All Night” cabin hosted by seasoned night owls), and most importantly, counselors are charged with making sure their camper has fun!
ENN reviews each application thoroughly to ensure they pair each camper with a counselor who has the necessary skills to manage specific situations, including feeding tubes and personal hygiene. To learn more about ENN, click here.
Where are they now? Susan Houghton’s son Robbie aged out of ENN’s program, but Susan went on to found Sunflower Hill, an organization that finds long-term residential options for young adult with developmental disabilities. She recently retired and continues to stay active in the Tri-Valley area with other nonprofit organizations. Peggy James recently retired from her longtime work as founder of Reins in Motion, an organization that provides equine therapy opportunities for the special needs community and local veterans in the Tri-Valley. Peggy now resides in Colorado and continues to work with an equine therapy program there.