Our Impact
At Power of Humans we understand that adversity does not define a child’s future, connection does. By providing a safe space for healing and growth, we empower young people to navigate their unique challenges and discover their own strength. The impact of our programming reaches far beyond a week at camp; it creates a ripple effect of hope that strengthens entire family systems and builds a foundation for a healthier, more equitable society.
Achievable Metric Outcomes: What will we do in the next 12-24 months?
Camp Hometown Heroes
We provide mental-wellness and grief therapy programming to over 200 children from across America at Camp Hometown Heroes for two weeks each summer and over 2,600 children since 2013.
Camp Reunite
We provide mental-wellness programming at Camp Reunite for approximately 150 children from across the state of Wisconsin (with a predominance of Milwaukee residents) who have incarcerated parents in three prison systems. The focus of Camp Reunite's programming will encompass familial reunification and trauma care for the youth in attendance. The program has served roughly 1,000 children since its inception.
Kids2Kids
Kids2Kids has distributed over 350,000 toys since 2006. Supporting nearly 50 local nonprofits and engaging over 200 volunteers annually bringing community together, teaching children the importance of generosity and instilling the spirit of giving.
Camp Staff Training For All Recreational Programming
We provide training and staffing opportunities and mental wellness leadership opportunities for young people (many of whom are former campers). Counselors embark on a labor-intensive, rigorous training journey to serve youth who face adversity in their lives.
What Parents Are Saying About Camp Hometown Heroes
“For the first time since his dad passed, my son was able to cry and begin to heal. Camp was a miracle for our family.”
“You promised our kids one of the best weeks of their lives, and you delivered. The friendships and healing will last.”
“My quiet, reserved teen came home beaming. Camp brought joy back to our home and gave my girls lifelong friends.”
“Camp helped my son finally release years of grief. I picked up a joyful, open kid who is on his way to healing.”
"My daughter says you give her a community that she can’t get anywhere else and no one can makes her feel like you make her feel. I KNOW they love it there in ways they could never love another place. I love my kids with every cell in my body, but I can’t give them what you give them. If our lives flash before our eyes before we leave this world, I am sure camp will be in that slide show."
“Camp helped me open up, build real friendships, and feel more connected. I would go back in a heartbeat.”
"My daughter is back home and sleeping soundly in her own bed. She made awesome new friends this week and was able to comfort new campers for the first time. She has been on this journey for four years now and this week is the first time she felt strong enough to be there emotionally for a younger camper."
"My girls were slightly hesitant to leave me to go to camp but were curious enough to take this journey. THEY LOVED IT AND CAN’T WAIT FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND AGAIN!!"
“On the ride home, my son opened up and cried for the first time. Camp showed him it is okay to grieve.”
“My mom had tried to take me to formal counseling after I lost my dad, but I think I was too young to understand anything past the fact that I was angry and missed my dad. So, when I got older, I decided to go to camp and I started to actually understand my grief, and I began to work through it. It was during my third summer at camp that I was finally able to lift the grey veil of grief once and for all. I was 15 years old, and my dad had been gone for eight years. That shows something very important, it shows that it takes a special environment for healing to occur, this camp provides that.”
“Camp changed me forever… I never knew that something as simple as going to a camp with other kids like me would change me so drastically.”
“Camp made me into the person I am today. I came to camp five years ago as an angry, distant and emotionally distraught 13-year-old. Camp gave me a place where I could finally be myself, a place where I could make lifelong friends and a place where I could be a kid for once. This camp took a scared and angry girl and molded me into a loving, compassionate person that I am today.”
“He came home singing camp songs and asking to go back. Thank you for giving him one of the best weeks of his life.”
“I never met a group that understands me more and who I have an unbreakable bond with”
“Being at camp was unforgettable. Watching these kids shine reminded me how powerful this mission is.”
“Being a Gold Star family is hard, but your kindness gave us hope. My daughters had an incredible experience.”
“The opportunities and support mean so much. It is a reminder that our loved ones will never be forgotten.”
