70 Volunteers Give Accessible Maine Camp a Spring Revival

When 70 people show up to rake, plant, and scrub a summer camp back to life, you know it's more than just a cleanup day.

Camp Capella in Dedham, Maine got its annual spring revival Tuesday, with volunteers and campers working side by side to prepare the accessible camp for another summer season. They cleaned the beach, freshened the bunkhouses, planted flowers, and cleared away winter's debris.

What makes this cleanup special is who's doing the work. Many volunteers are campers with disabilities who grew up attending Camp Capella and now return each spring to care for the place that shaped them.

"It means a lot to me to have this place, to clean this place, and then come here in the summer," says Matt Guerette, who has been part of Camp Capella for over 10 years. Jaron Baude echoed that sentiment, remembering summers spent at camp and feeling grateful to help prepare it for the next generation.

The camp partners with Downeast Horizons, an organization serving people with disabilities. Together they create accessible outdoor experiences that are rare to find.

"We have lots of camps and a lot of wonderful spots, but very few have the ability to help people with disabilities enjoy it," says Tony Zambrano, Executive Director at Downeast Horizons. The collaboration ensures kids and adults with disabilities get their chance to shine at camp.

The Ripple Effect

Camp Director Mikele Block sees something powerful happening each spring. Former campers return not just to reminisce, but to take ownership of a community they helped build.

"It's so fulfilling seeing them get excited about what they're doing and be excited and take ownership of a place that means so much to each of them," Block says. She watches young campers grow into "awesome humans" who understand that camp isn't built by one person but by an entire community caring for each other.

This model of giving back creates a beautiful cycle. Campers receive life-changing summer experiences, then return as volunteers to ensure others get the same opportunities. They learn they're not just recipients of kindness but essential contributors to something bigger than themselves.

Camp Capella's nine-week summer season runs from June 14 through August 14, ready to welcome campers to grounds lovingly prepared by the very people who know its value best.