On Sunday July 1 - Friday July 6, 2012 students from the Department of Dietetics & Human Nutrition (DHN) at the University of Kentucky volunteered at Camp Hendon held at Camp Loucon in Leitchfield, KY. Camp Hendon is a camp designated for children in Kentucky that have been diagnosed with diabetes.
As shared on their website, Camp Hendon strives to enable campers to meet and live with other children with diabetes to foster the camaraderie of ongoing support. The camp also provides an enjoyable, recreational camping experience for children with diabetes in a healthy, medically supervised setting away from home, and promotes diabetes education as a resource for life. The overall goal is to teach the camper that living with diabetes has no boundaries.
The week long camp was jam packed with indoor and outdoor activities including bowling, swimming, archery, cooking and a fishing derby! Volunteers, including UK students and past camp participants, helped orchestrate these activities to create the most memorable week possible for these children. Jenny Finch, a senior dietetics student who volunteered this year, shared her experience. Jenny said, “This camp was the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had. I will continue to volunteer as long as I can.”
Another DHN student, Mollie Dawahare stated, "Attending Camp Hendon was one of the most humbling experiences I have ever had. I met some of the most precious children I have ever known, and while I was only their counselor for a week, they taught me so much more than I could teach them."
The School of Human Environmental Sciences is proud of our students for taking such an active role in the community and look forward to seeing what they accomplish in the future.