Nothing routine about this camp

Fun in the sun is easy if you don't have to worry about developmental disabilities and being autistic, but the Cedarhurst-based Jewish Community Center's Camp Friendship provides summer recreation for these children.

Established four years ago prompted by parents and the JCC's year-round program headed by Bracha Arnan, this six-week, five-day a week camp allows low functioning and high functioning developmentally challenged children to mix with "typical" or mainstream kids and "shadows."

Shadows are the camp's counselors, volunteers who are high school and college students that work one-on-one with the children to ensure that the 12-15 campers are safe, learning and having fun. At least five shadows are usually selected to attend the CLASSP training program for special needs children at C.W. Post, Arnan noted.

"It is very intensive, it is amazing what the shadows do and they are volunteers, not paid," Arnan said, as she and a reporter watched the children come down the water slide at the Nassau County's North Woodmere Park. Some of the shadows earn community service credit.

For some of the children routine is very important and if that routine doesn't exist they become upset. The camp is structured to begin at 11:30 a.m. and most days, weather permitting, the children ages 5-15, have lunch, then swim at the county park, have field games—anything from the playground to playing kickball, basketball or baseball—then return to the JCC on Grove Avenue for a snack an indoor activity such as learning to cook or bake, then the day ends at 4:30 p.m.

Recent Hewlett High School graduate Zach Harwin learned of the camp through friend Brandon Fremed, who was a shadow for two years, and thought it would a nice thing to do for the summer and a good way to give back.

"It's eye opening," he said, "the difficulty they have with the simplest tasks, putting on clothes, remembering basic instructions, they get upset." Harwin learned that if you get upset, some of the children become more upset, so you have to remain calm.

To help the shadows the camp elevated camper Adam Kanaster, a sophomore at Calhoun High School, to CIT (Counselor in training). Kanaster, who has attended Camp Friendship since he was in the eighth grade views his role as an assistant to the shadows.

"I listen to the shadows that's why I became a CIT," said Kanaster a big baseball fan, who roots for the Yankees. "It's great," he said about the camp. "It's a very good experience," he added for the campers.

Now in her second year of being a shadow Shari Winter, a graduate student at Hofstra University studying children's special education, noted that through her experience last year "this is what I should be doing."

"I learned they have a real need for a set schedule and you have to remind them what is happening next," Winter said.

Students are directed to the camp through area schools and parents word of mouth, said Arnan, who added that the amount of children is kept to 15.

"Camp Friendship gives children with special needs the opportunity to educate their peers about their abilities and not their disabilities," said Rina Shkolnick, the JCC's executive director.

Comments about this story? Nassaueditor@

liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 201.