Campers with Special Needs Sought for Trailways Camp Experience

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Jan. 8, 2014 - PRLog -- The Robert V. & Benjamin G. Miller Fund is pleased to announce that once again they will be partnering with Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. for Trailways Camp. The camp, which was launched in October of 2012 to address the social isolation experienced by adults with special needs and their caregivers in Southwest Florida, will be held February 17-20 at Riverside Retreat Center in LaBelle.

“Trailways Camp is a unique retreat for adults with disabilities,” says Jesi Cason, Trailways Camp Director. “It’s an adventure for people who want to get out into nature, try fishing, do arts and crafts and make lifelong friends.”

Many adults with disabilities live with aging family members or caregivers and have few social or recreational opportunities that provide relief or respite for their caregivers. Trailways Camp removes barriers to social isolation by giving participants a chance to experience quality social recreational activities in a safe environment while giving respite to the families and caregivers.

“A structured schedule of activities supervised by qualified staff and volunteers makes this camping experience unforgettable,” says Cason. “Each camper is assigned to a team which is led by a counselor throughout the retreat.”

For more information regarding the Trailways camp, camper application, or volunteer opportunities contact Cason, at (239)995-2106 ext. 2312 or JesiCason@goodwillswfl.org.

About The Robert V. & Benjamin G. Miller Fund

Sharon and Jerry Miller started a Donor Advised Fund in Central Texas after their son Robert passed away in late 2005 from complications stemming from a rare neonatal disorder.  Robert and his brother Ben both enjoyed camp experiences as children and young adults in Michigan.   More and more the Miller’s observed the social isolation and barriers to relationships that developed as children with special needs passed through school experiences, became adults and their families aged. The Millers reside in West Rocks in Sanibel.  They have funded and led development of camps for adults with special needs since 2007.  In 2011 they established The Robert V. and Benjamin G. Miller Fund at the SW Florida Community Foundation, and created an Advisory Group that has led local design and development of Trailways Camps.  More information about the Fund and the SW Florida Community Foundation, a second key partner which administers the Fund, can be obtained by contacting Sarah Owen, Executive Director, at (239)274-5900. Visit www.trailwayscamps.org

About Goodwill

Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, Inc. provides life-changing opportunities to people with disabilities and disadvantages in Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades Counties.  In 2013, more than 35,000 Southwest Floridians received assistance from Goodwill, ranging from Job-Link services to disability-accessible housing, the Goodwill L.I.F.E. Academy charter school for students with developmental disabilities, career guidance and mentoring programs for teens, and the SWFL MicroEnterprise project, a small business education program. To learn more about Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, please visit the agency’s website at www.goodwillswfl.org.