Sonia

Our girl usually doesn’t come out of her shell until she gets to know someone well or feels comfortable with a person. From what we’ve heard about camp you must’ve made her feel comfortable quickly.

She described her time at camp as a ‘boot camp crossed with a rave’ and went on to tell us it was the best thing she’s ever done and couldn’t imagine her life without it. We’ve heard an hour by hour account of each day and she has come away with a massive boost in confidence and strong messages about building relationships.

Thank you for the time you and the other leaders devote to the camp. As parents we see the potential in our kids, but for them to attend a camp where they get to realise and discover their own potential is a huge step in their development and maturation towards adult hood.

We are so grateful our daughter has had the opportunity to attend Camp Awakenings. 

Jake

Before camp, I was extremely shy, very negative and most days I would come home from school in tears because everything was always so bad and upsetting.

Camp made me realise that my negativity was bringing me down dramatically and it was time I made a change. I have been very positive every day and I come home in a good mood with a smile on my face. Mum says she has noticed a huge change in my attitude and personality and she says she's really proud. Going from negative to positive is a huge accomplishment for me ... I'm so happy with the way camp shaped me. Your story inspired me, everyone's did, and it made me so happy to know that I'm not alone.

This has by far been the best experience of my life!

Kate

I am so thankful to you and your team of amazing leaders. Before I came to Camp Awakenings I was very insecure, I self-harmed, and I was always pretending to be somebody I was not in fear of rejection. The night before camp I had a panic attack because I was so afraid of being judged. The moment I set foot in that hall full of strangers, everything felt different. For the first time in ages, I felt confident among people I had never met. The atmosphere in that room was so calming and comforting yet energised and alive. Thank you so much for this experience. I am writing this now in my living room in Austria on Student Exchange, a place I would not be if you hadn’t taught me how to unlock my confidence. You taught me so many things over three days and the CA family will always have a special place in my heart.

Emily

It has nearly been a year since I went to this amazing camp, and here I am watching our camp video in tears. I just cannot wrap my head around the fact that the camp has made such a big impact on my life and so many others. Looking back, I learnt more that weekend than I have my entire life. I thank you so dearly for this amazing experience because I will NEVER EVER forget it. Gosh just to be back at that place with all those amazing people again would be the absolute dream! That weekend was the happiest I have ever been, it brought so much joy and love into my life. I just loved it so, so much! I’m so happy to know that you’re giving so many young adults hope, and changing so many lives. It’s just amazing!

Karla

No words will ever be enough for me to express how genuinely thankful I am towards every single person who helped run the camp.

Previous students from my school that attended Camp Awakenings told us that it was a really fun camp to go on and that it was a little bit confronting. But they never told us that it would be life changing.

Before I was lucky enough to go on the experience of a lifetime, I thought I was happy; happy to box people on their outer appearances, and I was also a very self-centred person.

Camp Awakenings made me realise that everyone is special once you get to know them and discover the pot of gold inside of them, and that your best friend could be sitting right next to you. It also taught me to be less self-centred. I have also noticed a more positive change in myself and on my outlook of life.

It’s getting to that stage in our lives when everyone starts asking what you dream, aspire and want to be when you’re older. And my answer was always I don’t know, I don’t know and I don’t know. But after going to Camp Awakenings and having my life changed, I now know what I want to do; change people’s lives like you all changed mine.

Melissa

I just wanted to let you know how much my daughter enjoyed the camp and to thank you for all the time and effort you guys put into the kids. When I picked her up on the Sunday of the camp, I heard you saying that we'll notice a difference in the kids and that we wouldn't notice it straight away but in the next couple of weeks. How right you were, a couple of weeks after the camp I couldn't believe the change in her. She was always a cuddly little girl, but as she hit the teenage years I could feel her pulling away from me, as she was dealing with all the pressures of being a teenage girl at high school. I think within two weeks of the camp she was back to giving me hugs again and the best bit - letting me hug her again. She also started talking to me again about what was going in her life, instead of just giving me attitude, because as she puts it "I'm old and wouldn't understand.” I wish that was true, but unfortunately I remember those years and how hard they could be. Once again thank you for all the time you put into these camps, I don't know how the other parents and kids have gone, but this camp is a big winner in this house.

Jeff

Wow...just wow. After my son not wanting to go on camp at all, he then he comes home, believing in himself, positive, motivated and well just completely different.....just WOW! Thank you so much for running the camp and changing my son into an amazing person. I just wanted to let you know what you have done for him, for us and I am amazed.....thank you so very much.

Sophie

I can't stop thinking about camp! It really was amazing! It was possibly one of the happiest times of my life... thank you for being great people, and I'm very honoured that you all were able to share your stories with us... I am very proud to say I got to meet you, because you are all amazing people, with amazing stories. Thanks to Camp Awakenings, I believe that my story is looking brighter.  

Aliya

For a long time I have felt as though I don’t fit in. But this camp has just shown me that I do fit in. I can find amazing people and I will. It blows my mind the amount of incredible people there are and that I just hadn’t been looking hard enough to find them.

Thank you. Thank you for showing me that being vulnerable is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength. Thank you for allowing me to fully be who I am. Thank you for teaching me to not box people the moment I meet them. Thank you for helping me see the positive in all situations. But most importantly, thank you for saving me. I have felt like a piece of me was missing and after camp I now feel whole.

I also like to live by quotes and one of my favourites is ‘not all heroes wear capes.’ And that definitely applies to you guys. You are all heroes who do truly inspirational things and not because you have to, but because you want to.

Zane

 I’d really like to thank Camp Awakenings for last weekend. I went there thinking it was going to be boring and dreading it, but as the weekend went by I had made so many new friends and had become more comfortable with myself. I had also learnt not to judge people. I’m so happy I had the opportunity to do Camp Awakenings and I’d like to thank the CA Team for everything. They really helped me step out of my comfort zone and overcome my fears. I really wish camp went for longer.

Peter

 I just wanted to thank you for the best weekend of my life. I really took a lot out of this camp and it has changed me and my perspective of life in a totally different way. I had gone through a really rough patch in my life and this camp has made a huge impact. I am so grateful to have been asked to come to Camp Awakenings as it is the best program hands down. Anyone fortunate enough to participate is extremely lucky. I still think of the camp everyday and the amazing people there. The inspiring stories really touched me. The camp was not only great fun but it was deep and meaningful which I think is super amazing. Basically I just wanted to say thank you so much. The camp was truly the best thing that has happened to me.

Deb

 I’m just touching base to say how fortunate I was to witness my son’s absolute state of joy when I collected him from Camp Awakenings last weekend. It is a wonderful event in a fantastic facility and destination. To see the kids brimming with enthusiastic joy and confidence as they wound down their weekend was a real treat for me. A big thanks to you and all the CA volunteer staff because you are the ones that create the real magic of elevation and transformation for our kids. As much as my son was already a socially confident and outgoing boy, he is now very much a young man on a ‘journey of awakening’ and he looks forward to reconnecting with new friends at Recharge. His signed camp team shirt is now his favourite sleep wear!