Feeling of acceptance changes lives at camp
Camper-turned-staffer says program helped shape his life, now he can’t wait to give back
When Harry Wenban reached middle school, life got tough.
He’d always done well in school, but it suddenly felt like he couldn’t do math anymore. He also had trouble reading social cues, and as middle school pressures ramped up, Wenban felt increasingly alienated from his peers.
“All of the sudden I was being looked at differently,” Wenban said.
“I wasn’t sure who I was anymore, or who I wanted to be.”
Wenban was diagnosed with a learning disability and an anxiety disorder transitioning into middle school — and the combination made him feel like he was “looking at life through a keyhole.”
But that first summer at Towhee, the keyhole opened up.
The Towhee Program is an overnight summer camp in Haliburton for kids and teens with learning disabilities and cooccurring mental-health issues. It is supported by the Toronto Star’s Fresh Air Fund, which helps send disadvantaged and special needs children to camp.
At Towhee, Wenban made incredible friends. He learned to canoe and do high ropes. He had counsellors who were supportive, but challenged him. He felt like he belonged.
It’s been 12 years since that first summer. Now at age 25, Wenban is getting ready for camp yet again — but this time as the assistant director of counselling.
Fresh off his first year toward a masters of social work, Wenban credits Towhee with playing a key role in shaping his life. He wants to become a social worker so he can give back, and help kids find the same success he did. For Wenban, the magic of Towhee comes down to one word: acceptance.
“It’s simple and yet it’s quite profound,” he said. “Towhee accepts you as you are, while also giving you that space to learn and grow and push yourself in a way that is challenging but important to you.”
Wenban says he can’t wait for campers to arrive on Saturday.