Stephanie Heitkemper, MA MFT, LPC, RPT, FT
“I think one moment that stuck out to me was when I overheard two participants talking while rafting about the long-term effect CAMP Jojo will have on their empathy and understanding as they transition from students to teachers.”
Lily Tender
“Being in Colorado is absolutely stunning – breath of fresh air, especially being from Maryland. The way the camp is designed with the opportunity and space to talk about your experiences, but it’s not just a grief camp. You can open up and talk about past and current events, but there is also time to be normal camp – hikes, rafting – just be in a space to understand. Now I serve as counselor and chair of the Teen Leadership Council, which connects campers throughout the year with games, texting and Zoom sessions.” — Lily Tender, counselor and chair, Teen Leadership Council
Kenzie Koessl, camper
“The most memorable moment of Camp Jojo 2019, the most important one, was during the rock-climbing. I didn’t do it and was just sitting on the top of the mountain, watching the sunset. It was day three out of five and I still did not want to be there. I was watching the sunset, thinking of Mitch (close friend who had passed away). His favorite color was pink and the sunset was pink. That moment made me feel fine—I was okay there—I wouldn’t be here forever, but this would help me heal, connecting myself to nature and my trauma.”
Anonymous Camper
“One Camp Jojo memorable moment was hiking through gorgeous canyons before reaching a waterfall at the top. There, we each dedicated a heart-shaped token to someone else in the group from whom we learned something. It gave us the chance to recognize how even after knowing each other for such a short period of time, we had already touched each other’s hearts. We all had completely different lives, but quickly I felt like I was part of a community. Camp Jojo brought together an amazing group of people and allowed us to feel extremely heavy emotions in a somehow beautiful way.
Cai F. (“Nighthawk”), camp counselor
“I feel much more tuned in to the mental health space at work and with family and feel empowered to talk about difficult topics with others because of the training and experiences I have had at Camp Jojo. Suicide and mental health are no longer taboo conversations I am uncomfortable or unwilling to have and encourage and communicate to others that I am a person to talk to if they would like to. I am also much more attuned to my own mental health and have learned a colossal amount about self-advocacy from camp.”
Zach, Camp Counselor
“I was able to be a part of Camp Jojo in its inaugural summer 2019. I came to Camp Jojo seeking the knowledge to help those around me that struggle with mental illnesses. In my college career, I’ve had the chance to use these skills. Thanks to those at Camp Jojo, I can be an ally to anyone struggling with mental illness. Something I took away was how to ask the hard questions. A lot of times, the hard questions need to be asked. I have found a lot of benefit in knowing this skill.”