accomplish

Melwood’s Camp Accomplish expands a child’s world

Photo Credit: Rachel Schuessler

This content is sponsored by Melwood

For five summers Cameron Davis, age 15, has attended Camp Accomplish. It’s one of the few places where accessible activities and a supportive environment have allowed him the freedom to be himself. Cameron, who has cerebral palsy and right-sided hemiplegia, thrives at camp. He creates new memories in a beautiful setting alongside other kids with, and without, special needs.

New Experiences

In a series of weeklong summer camps, Melwood provides a wide range of inclusive activities that allow children of all abilities to expand their world. On an idyllic 108 acres in rural Charles County, Maryland, paved pathways, ramps, accessible bathrooms everywhere, and other thoughtfully designed components ease the way for campers’ participation.

Sports fields abound and frequent scavenger hunts take place on the extensive grounds. Activities include creative arts; a horticulture-culinary class; and equestrian, aquatics, and nature clubs. High and low rope challenge courses in the woods ensure that everyone who wants to can participate. Popular activities for campers are a climbing wall that requires only upper body mobility, and zip lines.

“I was a counselor for four years and watched children transform from the beginning of the summer to the end,” says Jack Tomlin, Camp Accomplish Program Director. “We had a wheelchair-bound kid who came to camp the past two years. And last summer after she tried the zip lines, she said, ‘This is what life’s all about.’ ”

New on the agenda this summer is an expanded sports program. On a trip home to his native England, Tomlin discovered footgolf. Based on two familiar sports, the idea is to kick a soccer ball down the fairway and into a flagged cup. Tomlin is designing a six-hole course at Camp Accomplish, with rules adapted to allow ball play from a standing or sitting position so everyone can participate.

Participation is a big differentiator for this camp, says Crystal Savage, Cameron’s mom. “Most of us, as parents, we want our kids to be included. There is always that option with Camp Accomplish.”

New Confidence and Independence

Laura Pawulak’s son Jake was born with Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare condition characterized by weak muscles and slow development. After attending weeklong overnight camps at Camp Accomplish, Laura says Jake has a new sense of independence and accomplishment

“He has tried things he didn’t think that he would do, like rock climbing, kayaking, and swimming. He just really enjoys it and comes home in such a good mood.”

Laura adds a word of encouragement. “We as parents, especially parents of kids with special needs, have that fear of letting go. Sometimes you just have to get out of your own way and let them experience what they need to. Sometimes the kids are ready a lot sooner than we parents are.”

Real Friendships

“The goal at Melwood is to instill confidence and independence in our campers. The process to get there is to have fun, to try new things and succeed,” says Cari DeSantis, Melwood President and CEO. “Being around other campers of all abilities and our supportive counselors just reinforces how relationships contribute to success.”

Cameron’s mom, Crystal, agrees. “Oh my gosh, he literally starts a countdown to camp in April. The big thing is that socially he’s accepted. I don’t feel that he looks at himself like, ‘Oh I have this disability, let me not try to do anything that other kids are doing.’ That’s because he’s been of part of the community setting where kids can be celebrated for who they are.”

Give the Joy of Accomplishment

Camp Accomplish is American Camp Association accredited. Facilities can accommodate up to 65 children for each week’s day camp, and 30 at overnight camp. The ratio of counselors to campers depends on the needs of the camper; ratios range from 1:1 to 1:8. Sessions fill up quickly.

Registration is now open.

Please consider helping Melwood help children find joy and confidence through new experiences –donate to Melwood to sponsor a scholarship for Camp Accomplish.

About Melwood

Melwood is one of the largest employers of people of differing abilities in the country, employing more than 1,600 workers – nearly 1,000 of whom are people of differing abilities. Melwood offers job placement, job training, life skills for independence, and support services to more than 2,500 people each year in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Melwood also has an inclusive summer camp program for children and provides employment and support services to veterans and active duty military members who have experienced service-related trauma or injury. For more information, visit www.melwood.org/.

Analysis: Amy Klobuchar may be able to do what Howard Schultz aspires to accomplish

"I would reassess the situation if the numbers change as a result of a centrist Democrat winning the nomination," he said regarding internal polling suggesting he would be competitive in a three-way race against President Trump and a liberal Democratic candidate.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., might be able to change those numbers.

While Schultz believes he has ideas and solutions to the problems concerning moderate voters, Klobuchar has actually been able to communicate them when asked, in addition to having a policy record on many of these topics, winning her support from both sides of the aisle.

During a CNN town hall Monday, she put some meat on the bones of ideas that are popular - or at least of interest - to left-leaning voters.

On education, Klobuchar - like Schultz - has backed away from promising free four-year college for all, but she wants to make community college free and has shared other ideas about college affordability.

On health care, she is open to "Medicare-for-all" in the future, but is not committed to the idea immediately and instead is looking at solutions to the high costs of health care.

On climate change, she did not directly embrace the Green New Deal immediately, but she called it "aspirational" and promised to make immediate changes related to the Paris climate agreement if elected.

Schultz did not fare as well when asked to address similar issues at his town hall and has not done much to answer lingering questions since.

Though running as an independent, Schultz is counting on winning over centrist Democratic voters as well as independents to come out on top in a general election. But as a political novice, he has no track record of winning races, and nearly 45 percent of Americans in a CNN poll said they are unlikely to support his presidential run.

The billionaire is right that there are voters who are looking for a third way; he just might not be the person to lead that path. But the pragmatic Klobuchar could. Her stances appear to be rooted in acknowledging a Democratic electorate interested in big ideas but recognizing some proposals might be too radical to win over independents who backed Trump in 2016.

As a member of the Democratic Party, Klobuchar already has an advantage with Democrats who are not interested in taking on Republicans while fending off independents like Schultz. And as a woman, she would be a continuation of the direction Democratic voters showed in the midterm election that they wanted the party to go: one that does a better job of reflecting the diversity of the country.

Most people can understand Schultz's desire to get Trump out of the Oval Office; large percentages of Americans share this goal. But the individual best equipped to do that at this present time might be a woman from the Midwest known for advocating for policies that work for multiple groups - and not another man from a major coastal city who spent his professional life making billions in the business world.

This article was written by Eugene Scott, a reporter for The Washington Post.

Liverpool accomplish this feat for just second time ever following Champions League stalemate vs Bayern Munich

Liverpool may not have won against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, but that still doesn’t mean it’s all doom and gloom for Reds fans.

Following their 0-0 draw with Bayern, Jurgen Klopp’s side will now have to go to the Allianz Arena next month and win, or come away with a score draw, in order to progress into the quarter finals, a feat that’ll be difficult given their German opponents’ home form.

The Reds had a number of chances to score during the match, however they squandered every single one of them as Bayern came away from Anfield with a clean sheet firmly in the bag.

Given that the Reds drew with Bayern last night, it now means that the Merseyside club have gone 20 European home games in a row without defeat, a feat that they’ve now managed to accomplish just twice in the club’s history.

It’s a mightily impressive feat for Liverpool to achieve, especially when you consider they’ve had to play sides like Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, Man City, Man United and PSG at home in that time frame.

Given their fantastic form at home in Europe, should they manage to get past Bayern and advance into the quarter finals, Reds fans will surely be confident in beating any team they come up against at Anfield.

They may not have won yesterday, but Klopp’s men still made a little bit of history in the process.

Not a bad day, all things considered!