Published in the Olean Times Herald on Friday, May 5, 2017
By KATE DAY SAGER, Olean Times Herald
For the past five summers, children with mental health disorders in Cattaraugus County attended Camp New Horizons’ daytime program, as there wasn’t enough funding to sponsor overnight camping.
That will change this summer when the 41-year-old nonprofit camp returns to Allegany State Park to give children a weeklong, residential experience in an outdoor setting. The program serves children, ages 8 to 16, who have a mental health diagnosis and are struggling at home, in school or in the community.
Camp director Derric McElheney said the program will be held at Camp Allegany in the park during three, five-day sessions for three different age groups involving 90 children. Session one will be held July 17 to 21 for 8-to-10-year-olds; session two will be held July 24 to 28 for 11-to-13-year-olds; and session three will be held July 31 to Aug. 4 for 14-to-16-year-olds.
McElheney said the overnight camp was started in the early 1970s to give childrewith mental illness a real camping experience.McElheney himself was one of the thousands of children who attended the program over the years and benefitted. He credits the camp with changing his life around.
“Personally, camp helped me through many times of depression and suicidal thoughts,” McElheney recalled.
As camp helped him grow into a healthy teen, McElheney served in a variety of staffing positions at the facility before he became its director.
The overnight program was transitioned into a day program in 2012 when its sponsoring agency, the now-defunct Mental Health Association in Cattaraugus County, experienced financial difficulties.
With McElheney at its helm, the day camp program operated at Bethany Lutheran Church in Olean for three summers. For the past two summers, the organization has been housed at Creekside Chapel in Allegany.
McElheney said overnight camp was again considered by the organization when officials realized the cost of transporting children to the day program began outweighing the cost of an overnight program. He said Camp Allegany became feasible this year thanks to a deal worked out between the organization and park officials.
While collaboration with the park — as well as several community grants and donations — have helped the overnight program, McElheney said more is needed if overnight camping is to continue in the future.
AS A RESULT, the organization implemented a fundraising initiative called “Change Forward,” which asks individuals, churches, businesses, groups and agencies to sponsor a child at camp for $200.
McElheney said a sponsorship means the person, group or agency would receive a photo of the child, a letter and a craft item the child made at camp. Sponsorships could continue with the same child over a number of years, if desired.
“If the program takes off like we believe it will, we will be allowing kids to stay for more than five days next year,” McElheney said. “I think the coolest part about this program will be the connections that this program will create” with the community.
In listing other needs of the camp, McElheney said the organization is hopeful of borrowing or renting a large bus for transporting the youngsters to camp on Mondays and back to drop-off locations on Fridays. In addition, the camp hopes to find two minivans from July 10 through Aug. 5 for traveling around the park. McElheney said camp counselors, medical staff and kitchen staff, all of whom will be paid, are also needed.
McElheney said he is grateful for the help provided by the United Way of Cattaraugus County, the Renodin Foundation, Olean Wholesale Grocery Co-Op and, in particular, Creekside Chapel, which houses the camp offices.
The Rev. Dodi McIntyre, assistant pastor of Creekside, said the church “believes wholeheartedly in the mission” of Camp New Horizons.
“We are a very outreach-oriented church and we believe strongly in supporting the needs of our community,” McIntyre said. “When (Camp New Horizons) had a need for a home, this is where they came.”
For more information on the camp, send emails to campnewhorizons@gmail.com or call 904-2593.
(Contact reporter Kate Day Sager at kates_th@yahoo.com. Follow her on Twitter, @OTH Kate)
Photo: Kymrie & Derrick McElheney, Camp New Horizon Director
