Weld County community and Camp Noah team up to help youth affected by 2013 flood

During times of disaster many kids find themselves in roles

that don’t quite fit.

Often times they are forced to take on some responsibilities of an

adult — working or looking after siblings. Other times the parents have to 

focus on piecing their lives back together, which can leave the children sidelined,

scared and confused, said Maryn Olson, a senior program manager with Camp Noah.

The camp concluded Friday at the Greeley-Evans Moose Lodge, 3456 11th Ave. in Evans. It served 23 kids who had been affected by the September 2013 flood that hit Weld County hard.

Camp Noah, which was established in 1997 in response to the Red River Valley flood in Minnesota and North Dakota, made its way to Evans during the Greeley-Evans School District 6 spring break to help children in kindergarten-sixth-grade, who were affected by the 2013 flood.

The camp was free of charge and provided children with a week of arts and crafts and other fun activities, but it was about more than just paintings and relay races. It was about healing, said Maryn Olson, senior program manager for Camp Noah.

Arts and crafts give kids a way to express themselves when they can’t quite find the words to explain how they are feeling, she said.

On top of arts and crafts, kids were encouraged — but not forced — to share their stories. Each camper was allowed to share, as much, or as little, as he or she wanted, said Debbie Pilch, the Camp Noah Evans site coordinator.

Each child picked out a blanket on the first day of camp, which were handmade in the community, that would represent a safe place, Olson said. Several kids even made attempts to smuggle their blankets home but were quickly stopped by volunteers, Camp Noah Mental Health Professional Max Bourke said. The kids were allowed to take their blankets home at the end of the week, along with backpacks and other items to help them be prepared for disaster.

Camp Noah had lots of sponsors, including United Way and Weld Recovers.

“Lots of partners came together to make this happen,” Olson said.

The Weld County Food Bank swung by at the end of the day on Friday — the last day of camp — to deliver goody bags for kids to take home.

“There were so many of us affected by the flood,” said Bob Boswell, food resource and transportation manager for the Weld Food Bank. “Even though it’s out of the headlines, a lot of folds are still struggling.”



*For original version published in the Greeley Tribune click HERE