Why Shibley is Perfect for Our Family – Guest Blog

I grew up knowing about Shibley Day Camp my entire life.  I always lived nearby and saw the big sign for it on Warner Avenue.  In fact, Shibley was part of my back yard for the first 9 years of my life and I don’t think I ever even realized it.  It was just part of the scenery.  A nostalgic permanent fixture in my surroundings that was just always there.

It wasn’t until I moved back to the area as an adult with two children that I actually called Shibley and asked to come take a tour for my youngest daughter.  The first minute I stepped onto the grounds I was completely blown away.  I instantly felt like I was in another part of New York.  I was surrounded by huge trees and greenery, rolling hills and all things beautiful.

Aside from the natural beauty that surrounded me, I was greeted by the executive staff here at Shibley Day Camp.  They are some of the warmest and kindest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.  I had been going through a tough time personally and Heath and Randi really put my mind at ease.  I had been so overwhelmed with what to do about the upcoming summer and had been to several other day camps but none that compared to the feeling I felt speaking with the two of them.

Once I heard all about the incredible program that Shibley runs and how well rounded it is I was taken on a tour of the facility. The activities and variety that Shibley had and has to offer is just unbelievable.

Needless to say, my daughter has been at Shibley ever since.  She waits all year to get back to camp.  When we drive by camp, she shouts out “Shibley Shibley!”, in fact we all do!  It’s her happy place.  I actually work in the office on weekends so I can ensure she is here all summer.  She wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.  My youngest daughter loved it so much her first summer that my oldest daughter joined her the next summer as a CIT.  She has returned every summer since as a counselor and now as a lifeguard.  It truly is a family here and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

I feel so grateful to have found a second home here for myself and my girls.  I think it is so rare to find a place like this that creates such a huge comfort zone for children, especially with all that is going on in this unpredictable world we are in today.