Camp Allen Brings Summer to Annapolis Kids

For many of the children who live in the Allen Apartment complex in Annapolis, summer means spending days inside an apartment while their parents work. Many of the parents simply don’t have the resources to provide activities for their children to do during the summer, so keeping them behind the doors of their home is the safest plan. 

Ten years ago, Wesley Wubbenhorst returned from his missionary work in Honduras and decided to do something about the plight of Annapolis’s inner city children.  supported the idea and began to develop a ministry. Camp Allen was born out of a desire to form a relationship with these children while exposing them to some of the wonderful things that the area has to offer. 

The five-day camp consists of two days at the apartment complex getting to know the children, one day at the Smithsonian Environmental Resource Center where they enjoy activities such as fishing, crabbing and hiking, one day at Cape St. Claire Beach and one day at the Cape St. Claire pool. This year there were about twenty-five 5-12 year-olds participating in Camp Allen.

“These kids just don’t have access to the many community beaches in our area and many of them can’t afford to go to , so this beach trip is special for them,” said Co-Director Arvilla Wubbenhorst. 

Wubbenhorst, who even at 79 goes to the apartment complex herself to knock on doors and get the word out about Camp Allen, says that Annapolis needs more programs like this to provide activities for inner city kids. 

“It only takes one or two volunteers to get things going,” she said.

Camp Allen’s goal is to keep the kids involved even after they have outgrown the program by becoming camp counselors. Kim Marquez and Jairo Marquez, both 14, are both former campers who now spend at least this week of their summer helping out with Camp Allen kids. 

“If I wasn’t here, I would just be at home, sleeping, eating and watching TV,” said Jairo Marquez. “We really look forward to this week every year,” said Kim Marquez.

Camp Allen is making a difference in the lives of both the participating kids as well as the counselors who really get in there and make friendships with the campers. One counselor, Spencer Todd found Camp Allen so life changing that he wrote about it for his college essay. 

“The counselors make the difference, we just set the scene,” said Wubbenhorst.

Kim Marquez will celebrate her birthday during camp this year. When Arvilla Wubbenhorst asked her what she wanted for her birthday, Marquez said, “I want to go sailing!” 

Upon hearing this, Wubbenhorst thought of the $200 she had spent taking her grandchildren on the Woodwind Schooner in Annapolis.  They had a wonderful time, but Wubbenhorst had the resources to provide such an outing. 

“For these kids, they need someone with a heart, time and resources to make big things happen for them. Something as simple as taking a child sailing who might not ever get to do that without the kindness of someone who cares can make a big impact on their lives. These kids are worthy of it,” said Wubbenhorst.