After the Thomas Fire hit Ojai, we watched parents scramble to find child care as schools were out for over 4 weeks due to the fire and poor air quality. We praised God for His protection over Forest Home Ojai Valley, and the miracle we witnessed as He calmed the winds and much of the valley was spared from flames.
Soon after, discussion began about what we could do to provide a solution to the lack of child care options during school holidays. Within a week our idea came to life and Forest Home Ojai Valley Adventure Camp was launched. Our first Adventure Camp was on January 15th, and despite the lack of time to advertise, we were thrilled to have 64 students show up! The all-day event for elementary school aged children consisted of hiking, crafts, nature scavenger hunts, games, lunch, movies and more.
Students spent their afternoon free time on the zip line, rock wall and playing Human Foosball. It was so fun to watch the kids enjoying God’s creation by spending the day outdoors…screen free! It is great to be able to spend time investing in students and building relationships and providing an alternative to typical daycare. After the one day event, we had several parents inquiring about when the next Adventure Camp would be. A few even said their children had so much fun they didn’t want to leave! Our next Adventure Camp will be a week long event during Ojai Unified School District’s Presidents Week.
We are excited to provide an atmosphere for students to come enjoy all the wonderful things that Forest Home Ojai has to offer, while meeting the need that working parents have for childcare. We pray that our staff will display the love of Christ in each interaction we have with the students, and that this would open the door for them to participate in summer or other program camps available through Forest Home. Being able to meet a need for our community and build relationships with our local schools is an added blessing! We look forward to seeing how God will use Adventure Camp to reveal Himself and draw students closer to Him.
