Some youths get ‘Camp in a Box’

Summer activities for children are being altered significantly, if not wiped out altogether, by the coronavirus pandemic. One local organization is trying to fill that void by offering a summer camp students can experience right at their own homes.

Doxazo Ministries, which offers several programs to students in Topeka, had planned to host four weeks of camps at Heritage Christian School in July. They were projecting to have about 300 campers and counselors for their day camps.

The leaders waited as long as they could to decide if they could still hold the camps. But ultimately they decided to package the camp in a creative way that would still provide the experience to students in the safest manner possible.

The solution: Camp in a Box.

“We’ve been working all year to have everything ready to go,” said Ryan Wynne, executive director of Doxazo Ministries. “As of about the last two weeks, we were kind of on the tipping point of ‘Do we move forward with camp and just try to stick it out and make the best of it, doing all of the precautions?’ But really as we looked into it, we came to the conclusion that the risk versus the reward, if (someone) were to get sick, wouldn’t be worth it because we would have to cancel camp at that point.”

Wynne and the Doxazo staff quickly converted their extensive summer plans into a package that could be sold to allow first through eighth graders to experience the Doxazo program at home.

“So many things are getting canceled for kids, we said ‘If we can’t do camp in person, how can we give kids a taste of camp by bringing it to them?’ ” said Wynne.

The kit will include videos of skits, lessons and music, as well as all the materials necessary to replicate the activities of the camp.

“Any family in Topeka can order one of these boxes and we’ll deliver it to them, and they will have everything they need in the box,” Wynne said. “We set it up so that kids can do everything with their family members. You could even invite your friends or kids in your neighborhood over to get involved with the Camp in a Box. Once it gets to the family, it will be up to them to do the camp as they want to on their own.”

Wynne said that while he would prefer to conduct the camp in the usual manner, the Doxazo staff felt it was important that they provide students with the best possible alternative.

“Kids are missing out on community and relationships. They are feeling loss and sadness from missed expectation,” Wynne said. “They are going to have a different-looking summer than they have had in the past.

“As a ministry, we want to be able to help kids still have fun and experience the summer while being able to be safe at home. We wanted to create an at-home opportunity for kids to still experience Jesus while possibly meeting neighbors, or getting their friends involved.”

Camp in a Box is for sale on the Doxazo website for $65. To add additional campers to one box is $25 per person. To learn more about the camp, go to https://www.doxazotopeka.com/campinabox or email doxazo@doxazotopeka.com.

Wynne said Camp in a Box must be ordered by June 22. The kits will be shipped by July 20.