The Camp
Our Story
In the summer of 1999, Miss Ellie Mae had 2 girls from church stay with her and 2 of her own daughters for a week-long sleepover. That week was full of tee-shirt decorating, the start of the Camp Ellie Mae song (loofah loofah every day), donut eating contests, relay races and s’mores over a small coal grill. So how did that turn into the Camp Ellie Mae we know and love today? Well, the story continues.
The next summer Miss Ellie Mae moved to our current “camp grounds,” and had the second year of “a few girls at her house” for a few days; still not fully understanding the magnitude of what was to come.
Twenty-six years and hundreds of girls later, after word spread, about that first week that was jokingly dubbed, “Camp Ellie Mae,” there are still tee-shirts being decorated, the same (but longer) song about loofah sponges, still relay races and contests and s’mores (tons and tons of s’mores), but just a lot more of everything…more tents, bunk beds, many more volunteers, more games, more food, more love, more way-too-early wake up calls, more girls’ lives changed than we ever expected…more than we ever thought possible…
Since that first week in 1999 Miss Ellie Mae’s back yard has housed between 35- 70 girls for Camp Ellie Mae every summer. We didn’t miss a year! This camp always has been, and always will be, free of charge. It always has been, and always will be, run entirely on donations and the love and dedication of the volunteers involved.
It always has been, and always will be, a camp where girls have fun, make life-long friends, get to know our Lord Jesus Christ a little better, and get the chance to just be kids. As they grow, they learn to love who God has UNIQUELY made them to be! They learn how to cooperate with peers and to be leaders. They learn respect and accountability. They also learn to be encouraging, loving, and how to be a good friend. We knit, we sew, we even crochet! By doing these fun crafts we are introducing NEW hobbies away from screens, that can continue when they go home!
These lifelong skills can be, and hopefully ARE, lived out throughout the year. Our volunteers strive to lead by example by displaying these traits as best they can. Our leadership team tries to keep in touch with the campers all year long; we hope they know that we’re there for them and that they have a friend in us! We try to host one event outside of camp each year. It’s always sad to say “see you next year” -no good byes at CEM -but we all go home very tired, taking with us amazing life-changing memories from what is – Camp Ellie Mae
So, what are you waiting for?
Pack your bags and get ready for the best week of your life!
We can’t wait to meet/see you!