Proving What's Possible
Proving What's Possible
The 2018 summer camp season is sure to be remembered by campers, volunteers, and staff through amazing memories and lifelong friendships. We’ve also achieved some exciting organizational benchmarks this summer, most notably 500 camper registrations (522 as of July 31)! Our 2018 growth translates to an increase of 30%+ in camper use since 2015, as measured by meals served and nights spent on site. All of this week’s events are either at capacity or very close to capacity, and we filled every cabin in every site (and most beds) for the first time in 7 or 8 years, with six overflow tables outside the Dining Hall. Allelus will be lengthy on Friday night, and we can’t wait!
Why are these numbers exciting? Because Wanakee exists to positively influence children and youth by welcoming them into an authentic Christian community, lived out through unconditional love and radical acceptance. Growing our numbers means growing our impact.
Beyond “number of campers served,” our most important metric, we are extraordinarily fortunate to benefit from an uptick in the number of hours given by summer volunteers – we are projecting at least 7% growth in 2018. On the facilities front, we’ve been able to purchase 40 new (and better) beds as we strive to replace 100 beds over the next 3-5 years and improve the camper experience. There is a great deal to feel good about when considering today’s missional, organizational, and financial status.
Wanakee staff and teens on the low ropes elements
Parallel to those exciting growth outcomes are an unsurprising set of challenges. As with any business, for-profit or non-profit, growth brings complexity, and complexity takes time and effort to navigate. Imagine what it would take for your business to take on 30% more clients, your classroom to welcome 30% more students, or your hospital to treat 30% more patients. These comparisons aren’t far off - our cabins are more full, our meals are larger, our health office is busier, and our camper (and family) support needs are more extensive.
We have 3 fewer summer staff in 2018 than 2015 - we did not expect to grow this much this summer! This is a great problem, and a misstep that I’ve learned from. Once we saw our numbers continuing to spike, I attempted to add staff in a couple key areas, but prior commitments and a tight labor market made it near-impossible to hire in May, June, and July. Truly, growth in volunteer engagement has been critical in order for us to support our increased enrollment.
Even with more volunteers, strain and demands on our permanent staff and physical site remain. When you see the staff, please thank them! It is their flexibility and (exceptional) hard-work that makes it all possible. We’ll be looking to add 2-4 summer positions in 2019.
An update on facilities demands its own post, but the headline is that the Rec Hall leach field appears to have failed (likely a $20-$30k repair). Beyond that, we are still looking to cover costs for 15 of the 40 beds we’ve purchased, perhaps via the Wanakee Wilderness 5K (we bought a second batch of 20 in order to squeeze in campers and take advantage of economies of scale), our 30-35 year-old walk-in freezer compressor is on its last legs, and that’s just the top of the list when prioritizing what needs to be repaired/replaced in order for us to merely sustain current operations, without considering our desire to improve and grow. You will hear more about our dreams of replacing the Rec Hall in the months ahead (and donations are always welcome)!
On top of our summer growth, our retreat usage has more than doubled since 2015. Everything happening here requires increased attention and focus to accomplish well simply because we’re doing more of it. We are re-investing in ourselves as quickly as we can, but there will be more bumps along the way as we learn and improve.
I want to take a moment to thank our families, campers, and volunteers as deeply as I can for your invaluable contributions to Wanakee’s momentum. Thank you for trusting us with your children, your time, and your energy. Thank you for telling your friends and family about camp. Thank you for being patient and forgiving as we stretch our systems and become a larger, more complex organization.
Lastly, I want to re-iterate that future success depends on current engagement. Thank you volunteers, donors, Board/committee members, and staff for keeping us a priority. Your time, talent, and treasure is needed and appreciated today, yesterday, and tomorrow. It’s an honor and a privilege to build and maintain the scaffolding that supports the life-changing experiences provided through this community, and I hope you might join me in this inspiring work.
See you Saturday August 18th for the Wanakee Wilderness 5K (register/sponsor/learn more), Homecoming BBQ, and Silent Auction (donation idea? contact us!).
Grace and Peace,
James Tresner, Executive Director