How do you summarize a year like 2020?!? The year began with excitement as we welcomed a new position and staff member to our West River team. Liz Brown started as our Aquatics and Hospitality Coordinator tasked with providing excellent hospitality to all our guests and leading the development of our boating program. Excitement for summer camp was high as we planned for expanding our waterfront programming, an ambitious new day camp model, a revamped Counselor-in-Training program called LDR, and a new camp spun off of our Ultimate Mid High program called Epic.
In March we held the first Taste of West River event. Forty-four participants enjoyed a delicious 7 course meal prepared by new Food Service Director, Chef Matt Frederiksen. This event raised funds for our campership program and was a rousing success!
On March 12th, we closed West River in response to COVID-19 and would not host another retreat group the rest of the year. By May 1st our entire summer camp program was canceled. What a gut punch.
And yet, the light of Christ continued to shine and guide us through this unknown wilderness. The mission and ministry at West River continued.
In early April, West River become an Anne Arundel County food pantry location helping provide food to those in need.
Throughout the summer, staff and volunteers created more than 100 videos, activities, crafts, and more to help campers continue their personal and spiritual growth even though we could not gather at camp. This was an incredible pivot that allowed us to continue our summer ministry in totally new ways.
By the middle of the summer West River was able to begin to open for small group on-site outdoor activities including campfires, boating, and self-guiding hiking. In the fall, overnight household stays were added.
Chris and Matthew also “Ran for The River” this summer and ran at least 1 mile each day camp would have been in session. The event raised money for camperships and culminated with a 14 mile run to West River (the distance from Chris’s house to the camp).
As Fall began, Chef Matt began offering carry out family dinners on Wednesday through Saturday each week. Word of his wonderful cooking spread quickly through the community and soon he was taking around 10 orders a day. A special Thanksgiving meal saw 31 orders!
We had hoped to have construction of our living shoreline project this fall, but the pandemic slowed progress. Permits are now being approved and we are cautiously optimistic for construction in 2021.
The lack of activity on site also provided opportunity. We were able to tackle several maintenance projects around the site. The boardwalk along the river was rebuilt, a major renovation to the pool is underway, and the retreat center is getting all new carpet, the beds are being refurbished, and the kitchen is being reconfigured.
The cancelation of our summer camp programs and our continued closure to retreat groups has had a massive impact on the finances of Retreat and Camping Ministries. However, The Baltimore-Washington Conference, and Council on Finance and Administration in particular, have been an incredible support to us. Their financial support in 2020 and 2021 has allowed us to retain all our full-time staff, continue to maintain and improve our facilities, explore new ways of being in ministry, and prepare for the safe resumption of our operations. I am unaware of any other camp that has received the level of support we have in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. We are truly grateful.
West River Center Staff