Each Day An Extravaganza of Smiles

Wesley United Methodist Church was awash in activity, camaraderie, smiles and laughter as Camp Able made its in-person return after a year where such gatherings were impossible because of the pandemic. 

Held over five days recently, Camp Able provides fun activities for special needs youths and adults, with the vast majority hailing from Collier County. Now in its 16th year, Camp Able enables them to experience a host of activities; everything from such day excursions as scuba diving, movies, golfing, and salon trips, to arts and crafts and water activities. In the evening, there are group activities like dances, a luau, a carnival, and a talent show.

2020 saw the camp adopt a virtual format due to Florida’s COVID-related ban on large gatherings. While this year’s version returned to a face-to-face format, it was a day camp rather than the usual overnight format. There was also a change in locations, with the shift to Wesley from what had been the camp’s usual home, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Marco Island. 

There were 30 campers and a volunteer staff of more than 70, consisting of the counselors paired with each camper, nurses, a support team of volunteers from local churches, a production team that helps with nightly skits, organizing the talent show, social media duties and more. Most are all from the Marco and Naples area. There are also two camp counselors and overseeing it all, camp director, Josh Baudin. 

Mason Iaconelli, 19, marked his fourth year as a counselor at Camp Able. His participation was inspired by a close friend who’d started a year earlier and urged him to join the fun. 

“We all did it together, my two best friends and I, and ever since then I’ve been hooked and I’ll be here every year,” said Iaconelli, of Naples. “It’s the best week of my life, as well as the campers. I look forward to it every year and it tops every other experience every year.”

The University of North Florida student described the camp a safe place where everyone is free to be who they are.

“You can be your whole self without having any stipulations or nervousness,” he explained. “You can be as goofy as you like to be, you can be a sad as you like to be and nobody’s going to judge you for it. Everybody’s going to lift you up.”

Nanette Moll, who works in the office at Wesley, was part of the team of adult volunteers. She’s been volunteering at Camp Able since it was started by Reverend Kyle Bennett at St. Mark’s. What has fueled her dedication? “It is just a very exciting week to have people who don’t have a very exciting life have the freedom to be themselves among peer-aged folks who are out and about doing things,” she said. “As special needs and alternative-able people, they do not get to do that sometimes, because of their schooling or their parents’ limitations or so many different factors. So, hopefully, as our world becomes more and more open and aware, they will be in everything, like everybody else is. But for now, at least at Camp Able, they’re included in everything they can do for one whole week while they’re with us.”

Scholarships funded by donations from area civic organizations, churches and individuals cover the bulk of tuition for most of the campers. Baudin said that financial assistance always means a great deal, especially after the challenges presented by the pandemic. 

“The generosity this year, after such a trying year, has been very much appreciated, both in terms of financial donations, and the willingness of businesses to participate with our excursions every day,” he said. “I know it hasn’t been an easy year for all the businesses that are supporting us. Those are all industries that depend on people being out and about, and people weren’t out and about last year and those businesses still open their doors to us and they’re still supporting our camp and we’re so grateful for that.”