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Pine Tree Camp Staff Training Q&A

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Pine Tree Camp Staff began their week-long training on June 10th. During staff training week, Pine Tree Camp hosts a series of guest speakers to teach counselors about all aspects of caring for people with disabilities. Guest speakers include Pine Tree Society’s own Linda Ivery-Bonnar, director of Communication Pathways; Shelley Zielinski, director of Adult Support/Career Services; Stephanie Bell, NAPPI trainer; Vicki Simpson, contracted occupational therapist.

We caught up with Camp Director Dawn Willard-Robinson to learn more about what exactly goes on during this training and the importance of it.

Kayaking for Maine Kids

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It might have been a cold, rainy spring but the skies cleared, and the sun came out just in time for the 23rd annual Bath Savings Institution Paddle for Pine Tree Camp. On Saturday, June 1, nearly 200 paddlers set out from Evergreens Campground in Solon for a picture perfect seven-mile kayak trip down the Kennebec River to North Anson.

Paddlers were welcomed by Emily Tadlock of WABI-TV 5, who recalled her first visit to Pine Tree Camp.

“I called my mom after I left, and I said, ‘Mom I think I’ve just been to the most magical place on earth,’” she said. “A place where kids can be themselves, no matter what challenges they faced in life. A place where parents can feel safe having their children there knowing that there is a staff that can take care of them and look after them and relax themselves a little bit. A place where the staff is happy to work and happy to be there and always cheerful. You know a lot of people say that Disney is the most magical place on Earth, but I beg to differ. I think it’s Pine Tree Camp.”

Shortly after Emily’s heartfelt welcome, paddlers took to the Kennebec River, and with every cut of the paddle, raised funds for Pine Tree Camp’s Campership Fund, ensuring that every camper is able to attend regardless of their family’s ability to pay tuition. This Open Door policy has been in place since Pine Tree Camp opened its gates in 1945 and remains firmly in place thanks to the support of committed friends like our paddlers.

Donations will continue through July 1st. Make a difference and show your support with a contribution here.

The view never changes

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Pine Tree Camp has undergone many improvements over the years to ensure the highest level of care, comfort and safety of our campers, but one thing remains the same: the view never changes!

After many years of work, the majority of our iconic buildings have been modernized and winterized.  This not only addresses our campers’ needs, it makes our buildings much easier to keep clean and allows Pine Tree Camp to offer its transformational programming all year long.

“Now that we can offer programming year-round, the sky is the limit,” said camp director Dawn Willard-Robinson.  “Having winterized buildings allows us to think outside of the box. This year we’re adding adult specialty weekends in the fall, winter and spring to give our adult campers the chance to spend extra time out in nature throughout the year.  There’s a big need for that.”   

When people think of Pine Tree Camp, they often think of the kids we serve. Many of the people who first came to camp as children are now adults who continue to return to this special place every year.

“We have a lot of adult campers and they are an aging population that really needs support,” Dawn said. “We have one camper who is now almost 60 years old and has been coming to camp since she was eight.  She has never missed a single summer.”

Her home in southern Maine doesn’t provide her much access to nature and, each year when she gets to Pine Tree Camp, the woods are the first place she wants to be. 

Dawn recalled, “She sits outside all the time when she’s here.  You always see her reading a book on the porch of her cabin or going down the trails in her wheelchair to the woods.  It’s where she finds peace.”

In addition to updating our buildings for the comfort and safety of campers, the team at Pine Tree Camp has also been deliberately developing and improving access to camp’s unique features.  The next focus is an exciting project to expand the trail system.

For so many of our campers, Pine Tree Camp is the only place they are able to access nature.  Knowing that is the reality, we are constantly working to create more nature-based experiences.

“Our Pine Tree Camp alumni remember the original trail as the one that went out to the overnight camp area,” Dawn continued. “It wasn’t accessible for many campers and most had to get to the overnight area by boat or via the trail through the Preston Woods area.” 

About 20 years ago, Greg Ouellette, the former director of Pine Tree Camp and executive director of Pine Tree Society led a project to build a nature trail to the overnight area.  A trail at the other end of camp followed a few years later.

Pine Tree Camp is now undertaking the next phase of trail development, which entails joining the two existing trails to create a three-mile loop.

“These trails are necessary for our campers to experience and explore the woods,” Dawn noted. “The trails are wide and fairly level, yet they meander and wind around so there’s lots to discover along the way. The new section of trail we’re designing has huge glacial boulders that campers will get to go around so they can see how big they are. There’s also a bridge over a little stream that we’ll get to go over now.”  

Campers will also have the chance to see vernal pools, eagle nests, blue heron, loons and an active beaver dam. There’s even a spot where an eagle comes to the trail and leaves shells.

For Dawn, “Camp has changed over the years, but the heart of camp remains the same. We love having alumni come see the improvements and our door is always open for a visit. This fall we’re holding a work day so people can come back to see camp and give back at the same time.”

 

Get involved! Here’s how you can help.

Work Day: Saturday, September 28

Come help us rake, haul brush, move materials and pack the trails down.

Early Learning Center: hatching eggs for camp

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The Early Learning Center is patiently waiting for baby chicks.

The children have been learning all about farm animals, especially chickens. The process started when the fertilized eggs were placed into an incubator for 21 days. The children were very excited to see the eggs and had many questions about when they would be hatching.

Many of the children’s books show birds sitting on their nests. Teachers at the ELC explained how the incubator is acting as the “mommy bird” until they hatch.

While waiting, the kids were able to check the eggs a handful of times. This is called “candling.” The groups took a light and placed each egg on top to check for the forming embryo. A black dot on the egg indicates the start of a chick growing!

Students saw 6 out of the 12 eggs forming. Recently, the children looked at the eggs again and watched the movement of chicks still inside the egg. The children’s faces were priceless!

Circle time has included many chicken conversations and recently, children made predictions on how many eggs will actually hatch. Hatching should occur this week. The children come to school daily wanting to know if the eggs have hatched yet. 

Once hatched, these chicks will be brought to Pine Tree Camp.

Childrens’ Case Management: A conversation with Mike Bell

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Mike Bell is the team leader of Pine Tree Society’s Children’s Case Management program.  We recently caught up with him to talk about how he helps parents connect with the services and resources they need for their child.

What is case management?

Case managers are there to help take the weight off. When a parent reaches out to us, some families know what they’re looking for and some don’t. Our case managers help parents figure out what services and resources fit their needs. We empower the family and help them manage things on their own by connecting them with the right resources, giving them support and making them aware of what’s out there for services.

Who are your programs designed to help?

We serve kids from a young age up until they are 21 years old.  If a baby has a chronic medical condition, we’re also able to provide help to them when they are just months old. Depending on where somebody falls in that range, it could be anything from working with families when their kids are first diagnosed to the other end of the age range when their child is transitioning to adulthood.

How does your team work with families?

One of the first steps we take is to develop an individualized treatment plan for the child. We do that by listening to the parents share their challenges and by getting to know the child and learning their strengths and interests. We sit down with the family to talk, learn and figure out what’s needed. A big part of what we do is to look at the child’s abilities and strengths and weave that into our approach. For example, a 14-year-old girl we work with is really into cooking. So we took that strength and used it as a building block for her to also work on her social skills by taking a cooking class.

Do people have to travel to your offices?

We are flexible about where we meet and accommodate what works best for families based on what the goals are. As case managers, we want to get to know a child in different environments. We’re mindful of what’s needed in a meeting and we do whatever is easiest for the parent.  The important thing is that the family gets what they need for help.  We often meet at a child’s school or home or at our offices in Auburn and Scarborough.

Is there a recent success that stands out to you? 

We work with a grandmother who was having a really tough time raising her grandsons, all with special needs.  She has her own medical needs and was pretty overwhelmed trying to manage these energetic young boys. Our first step was to build her trust so she would share what she was being challenged with. There were a lot of trust issues within her family. We worked through that and she’s now open to letting us help, which is a very big thing for her. As a result, we were able to bring providers and services into the home that they didn’t have before. The early childhood and direct home supports and services we’ve helped them establish are huge for her and the boys. Recently, she thanked us, which sounds like a very small thing, but, to us, it was a very big thing because we had worked so hard to earn her trust and her feelings of gratefulness were pretty cool to see.

Why motivates you in your job?

It’s motivating when I see the weight lifted off people’s shoulders. I love it when a family that is incredibly overwhelmed and stressed and doesn’t know where to turn gets to the point where they don’t need us anymore because they have found what they need.

Who is eligible and how do they become eligible?

To be eligible for Pine Tree Society’s case management services, the child must be 0-21 years of age and be enrolled in Katie Beckett/MaineCare. Private pay is also an option.  There are specific requirements regarding a child’s diagnosis.  Instructions for Katie Beckett enrollment and a full list of diagnosis are available on the Pine Tree Society website at this link: https://www.pinetreesociety.org/children-and-families/case-management-children/

Enroll your child in a Summer Social Language Group

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Summer Social Language Group

Location: Pine Tree Society

71 US Rt 1 Elevation Plaza

Scarborough, Maine 

For ages 4-8 years and 9-13 years.

Ages 4-8
Offering five weekly sessions starting July 10 from 1-2:00 pm

This social language group is a fun way for young children to develop early foundational social skills including tools for effective listening, social self-awareness, perspective taking and an introduction to social problem solving.

Each group will be centered in play-based activities, including story books, and music with a focus on working together as a group and developing collaborative play with peers. The concepts introduced will help participants to develop an awareness of their own thoughts and feelings, as well as the thoughts and feelings of others.

This social language group will run for five weeks and each session will introduce a new key concept for developing successful social skills and facilitating positive peer interactions. Each group is led by a team of speech language pathologists.

This group is designed to enhance the social skills of children who demonstrate some independent skills, emergent communication and may have a diagnosis of ASD (though a diagnosis is not required). Spaces are limited. To reserve a place for your child please contact Nicole Cohen at ncohen@pinetreesociety.org or by calling her at 207-386-5905.

Communication Pathways reserves the right to select applications that will create the most effective group possible.

Sessions: five one-hour sessions on Wednesdays starting July 10 from 1 to 2 p.m.

Cost: $175 package, payable in advance, or on the first day of the group.

Please plan accordingly, as refunds are not given for individually missed sessions.

*Insurance may cover this group as a speech therapy session, but it will be important that you check on this prior to signing up.

Ages 9-13
Offering five weekly sessions starting July 9 from 2:30-3:30 pm

This social language group is a fun way to develop new skills, meet new friends, and improve interpersonal relationships. This group will be designed to help children that face challenges in these areas develop skills to establish and maintain more positive interpersonal/social relationships.

The group will run for five weeks and utilize a combination of formal and informal activities in a small group atmosphere.  Sessions will entail leader-directed instruction with our clinical speech/language therapists, and include hands-on functional exercises that may include video modeling, drama activities, crafts, group games, and a snack time for skill reinforcement.

This group is designed to enhance the social skills of children who demonstrate some independent skills, verbal speech and may have a diagnosis of ASD (though a diagnosis is not required). Spaces are limited. To reserve a place for your child please contact Nicole Cohen at ncohen@pinetreesociety.org or by calling her at 207-386-5905.

Communication Pathways reserves the right to select applications that will create the most effective group possible.

Sessions: five one-hour sessions on Tuesdays starting July 9 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Cost: $175 package, payable in advance, or on the first day of the group.

Please plan accordingly, as refunds are not given for individually missed sessions.

*Insurance may cover this group as a speech therapy session, but it will be important that you check on this prior to signing up.

Summit Natural Gas of Maine volunteers at Pine Tree Camp

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“We always look forward to this day,” said Lizzy Reinholt, Senior Director of Corporate Affairs at Summit Natural Gas of Maine.

This is the company’s third year doing a staff volunteer work day at Pine Tree Camp. 

“We started volunteering because Pine Tree Camp was an awardee of a grant for kids with disabilities who live in the communities we serve to attend Pine Tree Camp. We realized that a number of our employees had a personal connection to camp so we grew our support by adding a group volunteer day.”

Summit’s staff volunteer day at camp has become an important yearly event and their team looks forward to helping get camp ready for summer.  They do everything from raking leaves and hauling brush to bringing out picnic table to getting the docks in the water and taking the kayaks and canoes out of storage for the season. 

“We love having a hands on volunteer day at Pine Tree Camp.  It’s one thing to write a check, it’s another thing to actually go into the community and help.”

Summit Natural Gas of Maine extends their support even further by sponsoring the Bath Savings Institution Paddle for Pine Tree Camp and entering a team of employees into the paddle.

All proceeds from this annual paddle support Pine Tree Society’s Campership Fund to help ensure every Maine child who can benefit from camp is able to attend.  99% of the campers at Pine Tree Camp rely on tuition support, and no one is ever turned away due to their ability to pay.

Pine Tree Society receives a perfect score

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Pine Tree Society has once again earned the top four-star ranking from Charity Navigator.  Charity Navigator is the largest independent charity evaluator in the United States and four-stars is their highest possible rating.  Pine Tree Society’s commitment to strong financial health, accountability and transparency earned our organization this top distinction.

“Earning a perfect score in transparency and accountability shows we’ve worked hard to ensure our donors can trust we’re using their donations wisely in our work to transform the lives of Maine people with disabilities each day,” said Noel Sullivan, president and CEO of Pine Tree Society.

This exceptional ranking sets Pine Tree Society apart and demonstrates that the mission is executed in a financially efficient way that exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in the field.

Pine Tree Society is committed to maximizing the impact of every dollar donated to support the people we serve, and this commitment is reflected in the four-star rating from Charity Navigator.

 

Join the Virtual Venturers

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“Camp is such a big part of my life,” Mary Schafhauser is the assistant director of Pine Tree Camp. For her, the Bath Savings Institution Paddle for Pine Tree Camp is an opportunity to create a virtual paddle team for those who can’t come to the Paddle in person, but still want to show their support.  From Camp families, to counselors, to people from every part of the world who have been touched by Pine Tree Camp, everyone is welcome to virtually join her team of Virtual Venturers.

“It’s giant!  Creating a virtual paddle team is so beautiful because everyone can take part.”

Joining the Virtual Venturers is easy.  People can sign on as a virtual paddler by making a donation to the team’s fundraising page at this link: https://www.firstgiving.com/team/389633

“Anybody is also welcome to come on the day of the event and paddle with me.  I’ll be rolling down the river and paddling away with campers.”

Last year was Mary’s first time experiencing the Bath Savings Institution Paddle for Pine Tree Camp.

“I was struck by how many people came.  I remember the first moment of the launch and everybody putting their boats in the water and just seeing this sea of people.  It made a huge impact on me.”

Mary’s friends and family live in every corner of the world and, through her virtual paddle team, they can join something that means so much to her.  It’s also a chance for Mary to show new camp counselors and summer staff what it means to be a part of the Pine Tree Camp family. 

“Through joining our virtual paddle team I can show them what they are going to be a part of before they even arrive. They’ll get to experience everything that goes into making sure we have a program.  They’ll get to see how, with every contribution, we get to keep doing Pine Tree Camp.”