This content is sponsored by Melwood.
Melwood鈥檚 Camp Accomplish was a bold idea for its time when it opened in 1998 鈥� a first-of-its-kind inclusive summer camp experience where kids with and without disabilities could go to camp together. Melwood, a leading national employer, advocate, and service provider for people with disabilities, has welcomed children to Camp Accomplish for 25 years, creating countless once-in-a-lifetime experiences for kids across the D.C. area.
Before Camp Accomplish, if a family had a child with a disability and a child without, 鈥淭hey often had to send their kids to different summer camps,鈥� said Jewelyn Cosgrove, vice president of government and public relations, Melwood. Melwood, she added, was one of the first to say, 鈥淲e can accept all of you; we can accept everyone.鈥�
Camp Accomplish is not just a place for children to be accepted and play, but it鈥檚 also a place to grow and learn. Children at Camp Accomplish experience traditional summer camp activities, while also exploring new interests and skills, team building, and growing in their communication and social interactions.
Throughout the summer, community leaders and Camp Accomplish families gathered together to celebrate the program鈥檚 25th Anniversary 鈥� starting off with a community barbecue, a volunteer event during 鈥淕row it, Make it, Eat it鈥� camp week for company employees and campers, and capped off with a special cooking workshop with celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn through a community partnership with the Maryland-based company, The Wills Group.
Mendelsohn was a contestant on Bravo鈥檚 鈥淭op Chef鈥� in 2008, finishing fifth. After his appearance on the show, he opened several restaurants in the D.C. area, including Good Stuff Eatery. Mendelsohn is also a food equity advocate, and he using fresh produce harvested from the Camp Accomplish Learning Garden.
鈥淪eeing the garden and how clean it looked just spoke volumes to me on how they take care of the rest of the facilities and the rest of the program,鈥� Mendelsohn said.
The workshop taught campers and their families about the importance of nutritious food and its health benefits, while also demonstrating some new culinary skills they can use at home, including how to make healthy meals.
Mendelsohn was also impressed by the camp鈥檚 inclusiveness, saying, 鈥淎ll in all, Camp Accomplish is accomplishing big things.鈥� Mendelsohn also complimented the detail that goes into Melwood鈥檚 programs and the love, passion, and knowledge of the workers and volunteers.
One camper who attended the cooking workshop shared that he learned a special trick to cut onions from Mendelsohn鈥檚 demonstration, and he learned how to hold a knife properly. In addition to making delicious food, he said Mendelsohn 鈥渕ade cooking fun.鈥�
Melwood Chief Strategy Officer Scott Gibson said that what looks like a few fun weeks of summer camp at Camp Accomplish is really a way to explore interests and potential opportunities for the future. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e challenging themselves; they鈥檙e building new strengths; and sometimes, even exploring careers,鈥� Gibson said.
The Wills Group celebrated the program鈥檚 enduring impact by volunteering at Camp Accomplish, sponsoring special programming throughout the summer, and providing a Community Engagement grant of $20,000. The Wills Group operates convenience stores, car washes and gas services that aim to 鈥渢ransform necessary, everyday errands into more delicious, more delightful, and more rewarding experiences.鈥�
鈥淭he donation builds on our previous support of $40,000 to Melwood in 2022 and marks the first annual grant of a five-year $100,000 pledge to Melwood鈥檚 Camp Accomplish: Seed-to-Table program,鈥� .
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 just tremendous to invest in our youth, knowing that they鈥檙e going to be our future,鈥� Blackie Wills, The Wills Group president and COO, said. 鈥淎nd to subscribe to the notion that if we take care of our communities, they鈥檙e going to take care of us.鈥�
With activities such as horseback riding, creative and performing arts, sports, adventure activities, horticulture, culinary arts and so much more, Camp Accomplish offers plenty of opportunities for children ages 5 to 18 to have fun, and to discover their strengths. Each camper can try new things, and campers who know exactly what they like can choose specific themed programs.
They get a chance to see beyond barriers and limitations and envision a future career path. In turn, the job interests, and skills they cultivated from their experiences at camp will contribute to building a more inclusive workforce of the future.
With the holiday season and end-of-year giving right around the corner, there are many reasons why you should consider donating to help support communities like Camp Accomplish that offer an inclusive summer camp for kids with and without disabilities.
Learn more about Camp Accomplish, Melwood鈥檚 inclusive youth programs and ways to donate at .
