Camp

At Hope of the Ozarks ...

We are pleased to offer a week of camp to your child free of cost thanks to a grant from Angel Tree and caring friends of the HOTO ministry. We have many supporters who work together to make this the best week of your child’s summer—from handmade quilts on every bunk bed, to backpacks filled with supplies, this community cares about your family and provides an unforgettable experience for your child that helps you as well. This scholarship includes their week of camp, a subscription to the HOTO camper newsletter, and invitations to Night of Camp – a monthly event during the school year.

Campers enjoy a variety of classic camping activities like horseback riding, swimming, field games, and crafts, plus a new theme adventure each summer.

If you’re raising a child with a parent in prison, you understand the challenges these children face daily in our society. No one can care for your child like you can, but while they’re attending camp at Hope of the Ozarks, you can rest easy knowing they’re in good hands.

Hope of the Ozarks' goal is to empower campers to break the cycle of generational incarceration through hope, opportunities, and community. We believe in creating a safe, compassionate place where having a parent in prison isn't something to hide or feel ashamed of, because every other camper understands and has a similar story to share. Many campers appreciate being able to talk freely about what their lives are like and know the people around them are in the same situation; while others are ready to forget about life for a week and relax and enjoy all the activities camp has to offer. We make room for both!

Keeping your camper safe from harm is one of our top priorities. We keep our group sizes small (4-6 campers per group) and we follow a strict "3 or more" at all times, ensuring our staff are never alone with campers and that campers are never alone without a staff member present.

HOTO is a group centered camp. Teams create a group cheer, design a team flag, and spend their days together all day. This creates a powerful opportunity for belonging, which is an outcome we value highly. When any of our campers have a hard time, our counselors are carefully trained to acknowledge first, challenge second. We do not give up on children, label them as "bad" or focus on punishment. Our approach works, and campers typically "opt-in" to more successful behaviors during camp. Behavior involving meanness or rudeness or even resembling bullying is quickly and effectively addressed by our staff. One of the tools we use is TBRI (Trust Based Relational Intervention). In a nutshell, we coach our counselors and staff to look beyond any behavior challenges, and first connect with the child's heart, then redirect them.

Sessions of overnight camp last from Monday at 11:30am until Fridays at 1pm. Each week is for a different age group and gender. Junior campers are 8-12 years old, and teen campers are 13-16 years old. Boys and girls come on separate weeks. We hold a bonus week of camp called Timothy Training, which is by invitation only for teen campers who show leadership potential and are interested in becoming staff. Invites will be handed out on Friday of teen camps and caregivers contacted shortly thereafter. Many campers who attend this week of training learn to take responsibility, set goals, and have job experience they will use throughout their lives.

What Is Angel Tree Camping?

Calendar

February 17 3-7pm Teen Night of Camp

March 16 3-7pm Junior’s Night of Camp

April 5 6:00pm The Banquet of Hope

April 27 1-4pm Parent’s Open House

May 27- 31 Leadership Training Week

June 2- 7 Staff Training Week

June 10-14 Teen Boys Week

June 17-21 Teen Girls Week

June 24 - 28 Junior Boys Week One

July 1-5 Timothy Training Week

July 8-12 Junior Girls Week One

July 15 -19 Junior Boys Week Two

July 22-26 Junior Girls Week Two

Activities

Horseback riding
Low ropes course
Swimming
Team building activities
Field games and sports
Basketball
Carpetball & Gaga Ball
Campfires
Crafts
Nature walks
Life Skills Classes
Petting Zoo
Nature Center
Slumber Parties

Frequently Asked Questions

QuestionAnswer

How did my child’s name get on your invitation list?We partner with Angel Tree, a division of Prison Fellowship. When your child's parent in prison signed up your child for Angel Tree Christmas, Angel Tree also sent us your child’s name and address to send them an invitation to camp.

What is Angel Tree?Prison Fellowship Angel Tree® equips churches to strengthen relationships between incarcerated parents and their children and support the families of prisoners year-round. For more information about Angel Tree, visit their website at https://www.prisonfellowship.org/about/angel-tree/.

My child’s parent is not in prison. Can they still attend?Unfortunately, we only offer a week of camp to NEW campers whose parents are currently in prison. If your child has already attended camp here in the past, they may continue to attend even after their parent is released.

How do I know Hope of the Ozarks received my registration? Once you’ve completed registration, you will be redirected to a page confirming your registration is completed. Then within the next few days you should receive a follow up phone call or text from our office confirming your child’s registration.

How much does camp cost? Thanks to Angel Tree scholarships and other generous donors, camp is free of charge.

Can I pay for my child to come to camp? If you want to send your child to camp and also wish to pay some or all of the cost of camp, that option is available to you. Simply go to our donations page and specify this is for your child’s registration.

How can you offer camp free of charge? Angel Tree provides scholarships for every eligible camper who attends camp. We also have generous donors who sponsor any remaining costs.

Can I talk to my kids while they’re at camp? Yes you can. The best time for calls home is usually between 5:30-7:00 pm. You are welcome to call at other times of the day for a quick “checkup” on how your child is doing. Normal office hours are between 8:00am-5:00pm.

Can my child bring food?Any food brought to camp will be stored in the nurse’s station as we do not allow snacks in the cabins – they will attract bugs. We do offer three generous meals a day plus snacks and there’s a “General Store” where they can also purchase snacks once a day. All food must be eaten outside of the sleeping cabins.

Can I visit while my child is at camp?Your child’s schedule will be very full while attending camp to make the most of the week. As such, personal visits are not on the schedule.

Where does my child sleep?Your child will sleep in a cabin (or covered wagon) with his or her team, which includes 3-5 other campers and two counselors.

Will my child have their cell phone?At camp we focus on unplugging from electronics and interacting in the real world and building real life friendships. As such, campers will not have their cellphones and are encouraged not to bring them. If your child comes with a cell phone, we will hold it in until the end of the week. You can, of course, call the office at 573.364.2786 in case of emergency or if you need to contact your child.

What does the week look like?We’ve included a sample schedule on the “camp” page, the week will include morning rotations where your child will get to ride a horse, shoot bows and arrows, do crafts, team building activities, and a class. Then after lunch, there will be swimming and rest time with an activity in the late afternoon. Every evening we’ll also have a chapel service followed by small group time. There are many more activities, but this is a general breakdown of the week.

Can they be in the same cabin as their friend/sibling/cousin?Many factors go into forming each cabin team including age, personalities, allergies-medications, behavioral challenges, etc. We do reserve the right to select teams based on these and other factors.

Do you cater to dietary needs?Yes we do! Please indicate in your child’s registration any food allergies/intolerances so we may provide them with more options.

My child has allergies. Will they do well at camp?Hope of the Ozarks is located on a hobby farm in rural Missouri and as such we have animals, hay, pollen, and dust. While many campers and staff are able to control allergies with inhalers and medication, it is something caregivers should be aware of.

How do you handle bullying?Bullying will not be tolerated. Campers who are struggling to get along will be coached in conflict management and will spend time apart from the team talking to the Counselor Coach for extra guidance. If the misbehavior continues, caregivers will be contacted, and the camper may be sent home.

Is transportation provided?We do offer transportation if needed from the following locations: St. Louis (St. Louis Galleria), St. Clair MO (McDonald’s off of I-44), St. Robert (Cracker Barrel), Jefferson City (McDonald’s off of Eastland), and Rolla (Kroger). You can also drop off and/or pick up your child at camp.

Can my children attend the same week of camp?We have several weeks of camp, each one specific to gender and age group: Teen Boys (ages 13-16), Teen Girls (ages 13-16), Junior Boys (ages 8-12), Junior Girls (ages 8-12). Siblings of the same gender and age group may attend the same week.

Can my child attend more than one week of camp? What if I pay for the extra week?In order to accommodate all our campers, we only offer one session of 5-day/4-night camp to each camper.