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Dad Camp leaves Sasha in tears

July 1, 2021

Last Bell’s two “big camps,” one for Educational Outreach students and one for Stop the Cycle families, will take place in August this year. But some of our families already enjoyed a special weekend in June: a camp for dads and their kids, organized by DADCAMP (Kokomo, IN).

Dad Camp brought in 60 dads and 90 kids from all over Zhytomyr, including a few of our own Stop the Cycle dads. Staff members Yulia, a former orphan, and her husband Sasha, were beneficiaries of our Stop the Cycle program many years ago. Now, they serve as examples of lifelong learning for younger Stop the Cycle parents. Sasha wrote this about his camp experience:

“This is a very important event for fathers and their children… It’s an event that helps to distract dads from the hustle and bustle of work, so they can devote 100% of their time to their children.”

Dad Camp, Sasha said, helps a dad learn about his children’s experiences, and make changes to his own inner life to improve his relationship with his kids. 

Above: Sasha (center) with daughter and American leaders

Dad Camp includes games, crafts, teaching sessions on how to be a better dad, and one-on-one time for kids and dads. Dads and kids worked on gifts for each other; at the end of the week they presented the gifts during a quiet conversation. 

This camp includes games, crafts, teaching sessions on how to be a better dad, and one-on-one time for kids and dads. Dads and kids worked on gifts for each other; at the end of the week they presented the gifts during a quiet conversation. 

Sasha shared that at his first Dad Camp, in 2019, that gift-giving moment with his daughter Ksyusha “ended with tears in my eyes.”

Many thanks to Jason Braun, Brian Hertzog, and Brian’s son Elijah, who ran Dad Camp; and to the four local churches who hosted it. We’re so grateful that Dad Camp came to our city!

After camp in 2019