Where HOPE Begins Again: A Journey of RENEWAL

My name is Kirsten Ammons, and I had the privilege of working at Caroline Furnace during the 2025 Summer term as one of their Marketing and Communications Interns and Cabin Leaders. Throughout my time immersed in the culture and nature of the camp, I have come to learn that everyone involved with Caroline Furnace shares a common mission. That mission is to foster a space for groups and individuals from diverse backgrounds to have the opportunity to create unforgettable experiences, not only in faith and education, but also in renewal. Renewal in one’s confidence, renewal in one’s perspective, and renewal in one’s identity. This year, I had the privilege to help Caroline Furnace live out this ministry by partnering with Camp HOPE for the first time.

During their retreat, I sat down with one of Camp HOPE’s co-coordinators, Jenna Bradley, and conversed with her about the many factors in her life that ultimately led up to this moment for Camp HOPE and Caroline Furnace to cross paths. Jenna has worked extensively with children for most of her life, really starting when she was a team member here at Caroline Furnace and from her time volunteering at the domestic and sexual violence agency. From the early stages of her college career, she aimed to create a foundation of knowledge about childhood education through her studies and pair it with her prior hands-on expertise. 

Jenna worked for Response (an agency that works with domestic and sexual violence survivors in Shenandoah County) for a few years. During that time, she was also a part of Family Youth Initiative (the coalition in Shenandoah County focused on decreasing youth access/use of drugs, alcohol, and nicotine, while simultaneously working towards increasing positive mental health through community collaboration and prevention-based initiatives), serving as their secretary. In the same time frame, Jenna participated in a book read, made possible by a grant held by the Northwestern Community Services Board (a behavior and mental health agency). A member of Jenna’s coalition was part of the book read group; after reading “Hope Rising” by Casey Gwinn (the founder of Hope America), the chosen book for that year’s event, she was eager to bring Camp HOPE to their area. The mission of Camp HOPE is to teach resilience and coping to kids who have experienced trauma, which in turn decreases the likelihood of them turning to drugs, alcohol, or other harmful behaviors, aligning with Family Youth Initiative’s focus. This is where the process of creating the affiliate program for Family Youth Initiative, Page Alliance for Community Action (a coalition in Page County), and Camp HOPE arose. Due to specific job restrictions for Response, Jenna could not be part of this initial process; however, shortly after, she switched to work for the Northwestern Community Services Board as a Prevention and Wellness Specialist. As part of Jenna’s responsibilities in this new role, she now guides the coalition along with the executive board, granting her permission to work with the team planning this chapter for Camp HOPE to be in Shenandoah and Page Counties.  

When Jenna made the transition in her personal career and was brought onto new projects, she learned of Camp HOPE’s search to find an environment to host a getaway trip for their kids, which would seamlessly mesh with what they established in their organization. When Caroline Furnace was presented as an option to Jenna, she expressed her support in the decision, feeling as if what Tom (Caroline Furnace’s Executive Director) and Monica (the Director of Programs) have created here at camp was the perfect fit for what Camp HOPE was hoping to cultivate. Although Jenna has a history with camp, the work she has done with different agencies could have directed her in any pathway, honestly. The alignment of Camp HOPE and Caroline Furnace coming together and coordinating this camping retreat, with Jenna being one of the leaders of it, was nothing short of God’s will.  

Camp HOPE is not a Christian-affiliated organization; however, both of our goals, HOPE and RENEWAL, align very similarly. In the bible, Hope is more than wishful thinking; it’s a firm assurance in the promises of God. It’s presented as a gift that provides believers with strength and encouragement in the face of trials and uncertainties. Renewal in the biblical sense refers to the process of spiritual transformation and restoration within the heart, mind, and spirit of the beholder. Renewal is an ongoing process that ultimately leads to a life that reflects the character of Christ. That reigns evident within Camp HOPE’s mission of RECLAIMING hope that they bestow for their kids. While they may not be teaching biblical theology directly to their children, God is working through every single one of those volunteers and members of the organization, fostering this opportunity of growth and a different view on life. Having the experience of interacting and leading alongside Camp HOPE made me reflect on verse 16 found in chapter 5 of the book of Matthew: “Let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven." I love this verse because it reigns true that your actions are always a testament to what God is doing in your life and a good reminder that you may be the only example of God someone ever experiences. We talked a lot about service with the kids throughout the summer, and I had the privilege to witness this first-hand, being acted out throughout the week by accompanying the team affiliated with Camp HOPE during their activities with the kids. 

To some, a week may not seem like enough time for such a significant and noticeable amount of change. I’ll admit, going into this role, I didn’t realize how much opportunity I would have to grow in a setting such as this. I couldn’t have even imagined coming out of the experience with what I now know about myself within my mindset, skill level, and spirituality. Even Jenna made a mention of that in our interview about the amazement she was feeling by witnessing this in her kids all week. At Camp HOPE, they “Challenge by Choice” allowing the kids to make the decision to what extent they participate and what they want to get out of an experience. Something I learned throughout the summer by witnessing the kids and experiencing what camp had to offer for myself is that growth is limitless, being presented in everything you do; you must choose to put in the effort it takes to reach that outcome of growth. It’s also not defined by the grand scheme of things or the time it took to get there. When we search for these grand gestures in God’s work, we miss all the small lessons he is trying to show us, and where the most eye-opening moments happen sometimes. The kids surpassed expectations of trying new things by really sticking with it, even when it was challenging. They lit up when they accomplished something they didn’t think they could do, and Jenna stated she loved being able to experience and share in their joy.  

This trip was just as insightful and just as much an opportunity for the volunteers and team members of Camp HOPE to also grow in their individuality and get closer to one another. Experiencing camp in a similar but different role allowed Jenna to have a new perspective on her time at Caroline Furnace this year and everything that led up to this moment. She’s always loved watching the kids shine in their element, so being able to re-experience that was sort of surreal, but she also learned what it takes to coordinate an event in an environment like this. This was different than some of her other projects, and seeing how everyone’s personalities and needs were catered to was something she didn’t anticipate would be a factor they got out of this experience. This is a prime example of when we serve others, no matter the setting, we think about the role we play in contributing to other people’s perspectives and lifestyles being changed, but we don’t consider ourselves to be impacted by the experience as well, or at least not to the same extent.  

I came into this job similarly to Jenna did for the retreat, hoping I would have some impact on the kids’ journey at camp and make an impact on the organization, but I never could have imagined the extent I would be impacted throughout this opportunity. As the intern, I was trained to lead bible studies or activities and live with the kids, but I didn’t think it would be put to as much use as some of my other colleagues. Leading bible studies or biblical skits for the kids or my coworkers during staff training was the highlight of my time at camp. I love discussing my testimony and journey with my faith, but I also love having the opportunity to hear about my peers’ outlooks and experiences. Not only that, but the spiritual intelligence of the kids, especially their eagerness to strengthen their relationship with God, was so inspiring. I learned a lot from them, and they left an impact on me that I have been carrying with me since camp ended. Jenna said it best, but there is something about Caroline Furnace that just brings this sense of peace and regulation to those who attend.  

Putting in the work necessary to provide yourself with a pathway of learning experiences will never be easy and may not result in what you necessarily envisioned, but it will always present itself in the way that God intended for it to. My favorite motto to live by that I shared a lot with my co-counselors and my kids throughout the summer is “become comfortable in the uncomfortable”. It’s the best mindset to set yourself up to experience enlightenment during any situation, eventually leading to a better understanding of the purpose of that experience and what God’s preparing you for. For everyone involved in this partnership between Camp HOPE and Caroline Furnace, whether it was the kids, the cabin leaders, the volunteers, the support staff, the interns, or the leadership of both organizations, we all put ourselves in a new environment, outside of our comfort levels and built something together that allowed all of us to walk out knowing we were brought together and impacted by a greater force. 

Jenna’s final words of guidance for anyone reading: HOPE is believing in yourself, HOPE is believing in others, HOPE is believing in your dreams, and HOPE is believing that your future can be better than your past, and YOU have a role to play in that.