Volunteers

The backbone of Camp Promise

From cabin counselors to medical, program, and logistics teams, our camps are fully staffed by volunteers. This is part of our mission, as it allows us to provide camp free-of-charge to all of our campers.

We would love to speak with you about volunteering at any time! Please email us to learn more.

Counselors

Cabin counselors work one-on-one with the same camper for the duration of the camp session. Counselors are the primary caregiver for their camper and are responsible for being a friend to their camper throughout the week.

Counselors also assist with and encourage all campers to participate in activities, provide personal care to campers in their cabin, and guide campers in their personal growth and daily living skills. Being a counselor is an overnight position and you should be prepared to sleep in the cabin with your camper to provide help should they need it during the night.

We also work with floater counselors who perform the same duties as counselors and participate in daily camp activities with their cabin, but instead of being assigned one-to-one with a single camper for the week, our floaters work with all of the campers in their cabin.

  • Contribute to and engage in our camp community: Be active in the environment, working to ensure campers have a safe, happy, and fun time at camp.
  • Prioritize safety: Being alert and conscious of camper safety, creating and contributing to a safe environment for all.
  • Provide camper care: Be physically and mentally able to provide 24-hour supervision. You will provide personal care to your camper and assist in caring for other campers. This may include, but is not limited to, transferring campers to and from their wheelchair, assisting with toileting, feeding, and dressing, and ensuring campers receive their medications as directed by the Medical Team.
  • Supervise: Know where your camper is at all times and ensure campers are properly supervised at all times.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.
  • At least 18 years of age (as of the first day of camp) 
  • Ability to lift 50 lbs 
  • Must exhibit characteristics of leadership, responsibility, dependability, maturity, integrity, and a positive attitude 
  • Able to relate to and interact with youth and adults in a positive manner 
  • Available to attend pre-camp Orientation & Training 
  • Adherence to Camp Promise Participation Agreement 
  • Available to stay overnight for the entire duration of the camp session 
  • Willing to live in a camp setting and work irregular hours with limited or simple equipment and facilities, with daily exposure to the sun, heat, outdoors, etc.

Medical Team

Camp Promise serves children, teens, and adults with muscular dystrophy and select neuromuscular diseases, and we believe all campers deserve to experience the magic of camp regardless of their health and medical needs.

We need your help to keep our campers healthy and safe throughout the week of camp, so if you’re currently licensed, please contact us (even if you don’t see a job description for your licensure below)!

In addition to the below responsibilities and requirements, all Medical Team members exhibit leadership, responsibility, dependability, maturity, integrity, and a positive attitude while working alongside our campers and volunteers. The Medical Team’s primary goal is to ensure campers receive high-quality healthcare while enjoying the fun and magic of camp.

  • Assist with camper check-in procedures, including health screening and medication review upon arrival.
  • Prepare and administer medications to campers and volunteers, ensuring all campers get their daily/nightly medications for the duration of camp.
  • Provide first aid to campers and volunteers when necessary.
  • Review daily camper care charts and accident/incident forms, monitor camper’s overall health, complete any necessary additional documentation.
  • Will act as emergency response personnel, first aid, symptom check, etc.
  • Sett up nightly respiratory equipment (including Bi-paps and C-paps) for campers
  • Troubleshoot issues with respiratory equipment 
  • Assist in providing routine care as scheduled for campers, including cough assists, suction, nebulizers, etc.
  • Will act as emergency response personnel, first aid, symptom check, etc.
  • A current medical license to practice in the state of the camp you will be at or a temporary medical volunteer status from that state (if applicable)
  • BLS certification 
  • PALS certification (preferred) 
  • Pediatric experience (preferred) 
  • Physically and mentally able to provide medical care to children, teens, and adult campers with muscular dystrophy and neuromuscular diseases 
  • Available to attend pre-camp Orientation & Training; willing to assist in training if needed
  • Adherence to Camp Promise Participation Agreement 
  • Available to stay overnight for the entire duration of the camp session 
  • Willing to live in a camp setting and work irregular hours with limited or simple equipment and facilities, with daily exposure to the sun, heat, outdoors, etc.

Are you not seeing the right position for you? Ask us about alternative options and ways to get in on the fun! Frequently asked questions can also be found below.

Join Our Team

The friendships our volunteers build at Camp Promise are special, meaningful, and strong. 

Our volunteers often say they get much more than they give, and we believe it! Volunteer with us for just one week, and you’ll make memories and friends to last a lifetime.

Application Checklist

A Day In The Life Of A Volunteer

As a volunteer, no two days are alike and no two experiences are the same, but here are a few reports from both rookie and returning volunteers.

Download Our Staff Handbook

A Day in the Life of Sam

Spend a virtual day with Sam, a counselor in the Green Cabin at Camp Promise-East. She’s been coming to camp since 2015 and says thinks about camp all year long!

Read More

A Day in the Life of Carla

Meet Carla, a member of our Logistics Team at Camp Promise-West. Her siblings are campers and her mom is also a volunteer, so for Carla, the week at camp is a family affair in more ways than one!

Read More

A Day in the Life of Andrew

Spend a virtual day with Andrew, a counselor at Camp Promise-West. Fun fact about Andrew: He first learned about Camp Promise from an ad on Facebook in 2012 and has been volunteering with us ever since.

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A Day in the Life of Allison

Spend a virtual day with Allison, our Purple Cabin Unit Leader at Camp Promise-West. Allison has been a volunteer with Camp Promise-West since its first year in 2009.

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A Day in the Life of Stephanie-Lynn

Meet Stephanie-Lynn, a volunteer lifeguard at Camp Promise-West. She supervised all of our water activities, including swimming in our indoor heated pool and hot tub, as well as boating and fishing on our waterfront, in 2012 and 2013.

Read More

Frequently Asked Questions

We have camps in Pennsylvania, Colorado, South Carolina and Washington, as well as retreats in California, Ohio and Arizona. You can learn more about each location on our homepage!

All camps offer volunteer opportunities.

It depends on the camp(s) you want to participate in, so check out our Camp Promise homepage for specific information such as dates, addresses, and more! Don’t forget, all volunteers must attend our mandatory Orientation session that takes place the day before campers arrive.

We believe that despite one’s physical abilities or medical needs, everyone deserves to experience the magic of camp. For many people with neuromuscular diseases, other camps and even sleepovers with friends are not possible throughout the rest of the year. So, we provide a place where everyone is accepted, no matter their disability. For many of our campers, this is the one week of the year where they are able to be away from home to hang out with other people their own age who know what they’re going through. Camp Promise is a place where ALL of the fun is always accessible.

The friendships our volunteers build at Camp Promise are special, meaningful, and strong. Our volunteers often say they get much more than they give, and we believe it! Volunteer with us for just one week, and you’ll make memories and friends that last a lifetime.

Yes, but please think about whether you are doing this for the credit or because it’s something you really want to do. Trust us, there are much easier ways to rack up a week’s worth of volunteer hours.

If you have questions about volunteer hours, please contact us!

Neuromuscular diseases are genetic diseases (no, they’re not contagious) that affect muscles. Most neuromuscular diseases are progressive, which means that our camper’s muscles get weaker as they get older. However, neuromuscular diseases progress at different rates in different individuals, so two campers with the same diagnosis may have different abilities and needs (that’s why it’s so important to ask questions instead of assuming!). Many campers use power wheelchairs and take daily medications, and some use medical equipment to help them breath at night or during the day.

There are more than 40 different types of muscular dystrophy and neuromuscular diseases, but Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Beckers muscular dystrophy are the two most common diagnoses of Camp Promise campers. Some other common diagnoses at Camp Promise include Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Freidreich’s Ataxia.

Our volunteers will learn more about their camper and their camper’s needs during Orientation.

Every summer, we recruit for hundreds of positions at Camp Promise and they are all filled by volunteers. You can join our cabin counselors and work one-on-one with a camper for the week, or you can join our Program Staff and help put on activities such as arts ‘n crafts, photography, sports, drama & music, yearbook editing, and more. We also have a Logistic Team and Medical Staff and they always need volunteers!

As a counselor, the most common role at camp, you would be paired with a camper for the week and the most important thing you can do is be a friend to your camper. By providing emotional support and friendship to your camper, you can build a relationship that continues beyond camp. Your responsibilities will depend on your camper, but all the counselors in each cabin work as a team. Some campers will need help transferring from their wheelchair to their bed, eating, using the restroom or assistance with medical equipment (all volunteers receive training at Orientation to help with these activities of daily living). Additionally, some campers will bring along a nurse to help with medical equipment that requires more training. If it’s your first year, you’ll most likely be paired with a camper who is more independent and needs less assistance.

We are also open to new positions, so if you have any special skills you want to lend to camp, please let us know!

Our staff is a powerful team. Every hired volunteer is essential and we rely on each individual’s commitment to operate at maximum capacity. We prefer volunteers stay the entire length of camp, but if you have questions or a unique circumstance, please email us.

All volunteers report to camp for Orientation, which takes place the day before campers arrive. You’ll get a chance to meet all of the other counselors, unit leaders, program staff, our medical team and our logistics team, and yes, there will even be a corny ice breaker or two. At Orientation, counselors will learn who their camper is for the week, and others will meet their teams and resources for the week. We’ll all spend most of the day together, learning about neuromuscular diseases and how to care for our campers. Through lots of hands-on training, you’ll learn how to dress, feed, transfer, and care for your camper for the week of camp. It’s also a great time to ask questions and learn who your resources will be during the week of camp.

Apply Today

Don’t miss out on the magic of Camp Promise! 

Thank you to our Camp Promise Sponsors:

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of our Camp Promise programming, please email [email protected].

Experience the magic this summer!

How is the rare disease community accomplishing goals?

Tune in on February 29 to hear from our panel and moderators on how they are accomplishing goals and living life to the fullest!

Your gift helps Jett Foundation provide programming and opportunities, such as Camp Promise, to many families impacted by Duchenne muscular dystrophy each year.

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