Providing a warm welcome at camp

K-9 Comfort Dog teams from 2 states make sure campers settle in for a week of healing and wholeness. ​

Homesickness is no stranger to Camp Hometown Heroes.

The Wisconsin-based sleepaway camp for children aged 7 to 17 flies in young people from all over the country this time of year, and for many campers it’s their first time away from home.

Which means stress. And tears.

Ready to calm those nerves and soothe away the uncertainty were the Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dogs, who made their second appearance at the camp this summer. 

Serving as golden-furred counselors last weekend were Believe and Charity (Brookfield – Brookfield, WI), Samaria (Shepherd of the Hills – Greenville, WI), and Tobias (Lord of Glory – Grayslake, IL), whose tenderhearted compassion and comfort made a big difference.

Children at Camp Hometown Heroes share the tragic connection of having lost a military service member parent or loved one, and the summer camp is designed to help these youngsters experience healing, connection, and hope. 

“We saw so many smiles from the campers and counselors,” said a Team Samaria handler. “Many children shared how they were returning, and you could see guards coming down as they interacted with the dogs.”

---

Even some of the counselors told the K-9 teams that they had once been campers themselves and were so glad to see the golden retrievers visiting. They were especially excited to follow them on social media.

One counselor shared that he had come from London because of the impact he knew Camp Hometown Heroes has with kids. Another counselor with the nickname Pepper shared that she picked her moniker because her dad loved the soda Dr Pepper. He was gone now, but his memory lived on in her serving the campers. 

Another handler for Samaria met a timid young girl from Michigan, who opened up about traveling to Wisconsin and Chicago, as well as what had been happening with her stepmother and mother. 

“When you see the bridge that Samaria makes and the connection you receive from that … it’s God doing His thing,” she said. 

A third handler found personal meaning and connection while serving. 

“This visit was extra special to me since my husband is a veteran and a Kare-9 handler,” she said. “He’s able to serve and make that connection to veterans and service members, but this allowed me to serve the precious families. The care and support these kids get is very meaningful.” 

She met a camper who had lived in Hawaii, where the handler and her husband had been while he was stationed on Oahu. 

“When I said, ‘The big pink hospital next to the mountain,’ she had a big smile,” she recalled. “She shared a little about her parent’s job and the different places they had been. My husband and I had been to all the same places, and she smiled as another unexpected connection was made.” 
 
It was a simple conversation, but unexpected connections can have deep validation. God uses experiences and seasons in life to help these young campers feel seen.  

“I could see her visibly relax and it made my heart so happy. That conversation reminded me how meaningful it can be when someone simply understands a piece of your story. What an amazing reminder that God wastes nothing.”

Meanwhile, Charity and her team connected with one of the founding fathers of Camp Hometown Heroes, who had been supporting the group for 13 years. 

“He said he was thrilled to see the Comfort Dogs were coming this year again,” she said. “He couldn’t say enough about all the dogs from our group that have come over the many years. He sees each year what joy they bring to not only the campers and counselors but also to the many volunteers.”
​