Feeding Camp Able Campers

This summer, Camp Able turns 20, and the campus at Wesley United Methodist Church is the center of a lot of activities with campers, camp leaders, and counselors making unforgettable memories together.

For Friday’s dinner experience, Senior Softball players volunteered to prepare and serve dinner. What’s it like to feed over 180 camp participants? The campers and their counselors were busy with scheduled activities all day long and by the time dinner time comes around – they are all hungry! Friday’s dinner was generously sponsored by the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island.

Food adds to a very memorable camp experience! For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, eating together is part of the bonding experience. Campers are nourished and food provides the energy for an active day. And while campers are enjoying the meal, they share stories and friendships are formed.

A big thanks to Rob and Kat Stried, food coordinators for Camp Able, for inviting a few members of the senior softball players to be part of Camp Able’s 20th anniversary camp experience. Rob Stried is a player for the Marco Island Senior Softball League and Kat seldom misses a game during the season!

For Friday’s dinner, softball players set out 18 tables with ten chairs inside the dining hall at Wesley United Methodist Church. Friday’s dinner menu was taco pies! Rob and Kat also had to accommodate picky eaters and campers with special dietary needs such as food allergies, vegan, or gluten-free, or sometimes, some campers just prefer the comfort of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Kat and Rob were the task masters, guiding all the volunteers, and food was prepared with great attention to detail and love. Menu planning and preparation are key in bulk cooking to save time. Also, it will happen that you are going to run out of a key ingredient. Luckily, Publix is just across the street.

Inside the kitchen, the task of preparation took on the precision of an assembly line. As the saying goes, “many hands make light work,” from the preparation of the taco pies - layering the ingredients and baking them in the oven for 15 minutes to pre-slicing them in equal parts and making sure to serve them warm. Teamwork does lighten the load!

A big thank you to the numerous group volunteers, individuals, and sponsors of Camp Able’s 20th anniversary: Marco Island Woman’s Club, Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, United Church of Marco Island, and the Rotary Club of Marco Island, along with many others.

Camp Able is a weeklong summer camp hosted by Wesley United Methodist Church on Marco Island for individuals with diverse abilities. For the week, the campers enjoy one-on-one camp counselor interaction. What fun!