Camp for 400 Kids with Autism & Medical Needs

Jordan was a shy kid.  He didn’t look people in the eye and he didn’t talk very much.  Jordan is on the autism spectrum, and he faced a lot of challenges as a child.  His former teachers say he was ………

Kids with autism have an extremely high risk of being depressed and unemployed as adults, and Jordan’s teachers and family wondered if he was headed towards this bleak future.  However, when he was 13 years old, Jordan’s teacher brought him on a tour of Dragonfly Forest, and set his life on a different course altogether. 

“I didn’t think I would be comfortable” Jordan laughed as he remembered his first year, “but then I was just amazed and wanted to come back every year.”  True to his word, Jordan came back to Dragonfly Forest every summer.  He did our teen leadership program and then became a counselor.  “Without camp”, Jordan says, “I wouldn’t be the same person that I am today. I would still be in my comfort zone and socially awkward and not making friends.”  Jordan is now 20 years old.  He balances a part time job with his full-time studies at Delaware Valley Community College.  He plans to transfer to West Chester University next fall.  Last year, Jordan won our ‘Dragonheart Award’, which goes to the counselor who most embodies the spirit of camp.  His positive attitude and work-ethic are remarkable and campers and peers alike admire him.

“Camp has taught me to take things seriously but have fun at the same time,” he says. “I learned how to be myself here, and how to respect other people.  I wouldn’t be the same person without Dragonfly Forest”.   

We are so proud of Jordan, and we want to thank our community of donors who have helped to make his transformation possible. 

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