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| Nathaniel Rubin | Associate | Atlanta, GA |
When I describe Camp Kudzu to friends and family, I always tell them that it is not just a “summer camp”, but a loving family and community that promotes fun and spreads awareness about common misconceptions. Type-1 Diabetes is an incurable disease, and unlike people with Type-2 Diabetes, people with Type-1 Diabetes do not produce insulin. Therefore, it is crucial to check blood glucose and administer insulin appropriately. Additionally, Type-1 Diabetes is not associated with obesity. While we have made great strides in devaluing common misconceptions about Type-1 Diabetes, Camp Kudzu still has much more work to do.
As an adult diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes, I have observed the power of Camp’s lasting impact with families in Georgia. I have volunteered at the overnight camp as a counselor for four years. Young children learn to effectively count carbohydrates, calculate insulin dosages, and maintain their pumps. They feel more confident and educated to handle their diabetes at school and home. In addition, they form better eating and exercise habits that prolong their lives. Camp activities such as water sports, zip lines, and arts and crafts foster friendships that last lifetimes. No one feels alone at Camp. To truly understand the passion instilled in the campers, you have to see it for yourself. After each meal, the camp band rocks the cafeteria, and everyone dances and sings to their favorite camp songs such as The Rainbow Connection and Sweet Caroline. It truly is impossible to describe the love, joy, and excitement campers and counselors feel at Camp!
Counselors use time in the cabins to facilitate conversations about diabetes-related challenges. Some of the topics that our 13-year old boys discussed include: managing diabetes at school, maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine, and finding ways to stand up to bullying. Without the Camp community, the campers might not have a safe, nonjudgmental outlet to communicate these hardships. Together, campers and counselors help each other overcome their worries and fears.
It gives me pride to see how Camp Kudzu’s philosophy aligns with RSM’s core values of respect and teamwork. Respect means treating another person how you would want to be treated. Whether I am with a colleague, client, volunteer or camper, acting courteously leads to a great relationship. Listening to others voice their ideas is crucial in work and in volunteering. We are strongest when everyone can come together, embrace our different viewpoints, and use our diversity to tackle adversity.
At camp and work, teamwork is necessary to achieve success. As an associate, I cannot learn and grow without my colleagues’ help. Work can be challenging, but thanks to my colleagues in the office, I know that I can consult them if I become confused. If we do not collaborate as a team, can we really serve our clients to the best of our abilities? The answer: no. At camp, collaborating is essential. Days in the Georgia summer heat are long and tiring. If a group of people cannot come together and work towards a common goal of learning and growing, there will be little progress. Working together as an inclusive team and openly communicating is the only way to succeed.
More than 6,000 children live with Type-1 Diabetes in Georgia, and Camp Kudzu’s goal is to serve every child. Roughly 760 children benefited from Camp Kudzu’s programming in 2016; however, more outreach is needed, especially for children in rural communities. Every volunteer, including nurses and endocrinologists who medically supervise the camp, is valuable. Their donated time is worth at least $400,000 each year. With nine PTO days, I could volunteer for two weeks at Camp Kudzu and provide strong male leadership for kids who could use an effective role model.
Since Camp Kudzu is a nonprofit organization, it cannot operate without generous donations from the public. Eighty percent of camp revenues derived from charitable giving, and twenty percent from camp fees. The cost of attending camp is $1,500 per week for one camper; $750 goes to purchasing medical supplies, and the other half goes to staffing and lodging volunteers. Camp must ensure it has all of the medical supplies (i.e. insulin, test strips, glucose meters, etc.) on hand, which elevates the price of attendance. Many families have trouble affording camp; 42% of the campers attending need a scholarship to defray the high cost. Every donation, no matter how small, matters.
After communicating with Camp Kudzu’s directors, I learned that scholarships, medical supplies, and outreach program funds are the most pressing needs. So, if awarded with the $10,000, I would allocate $7,500 to ensure that five children can attend camp cost-free. I would allocate $2,000 to purchase diabetes supplies. In an average week, roughly 220 campers attend camp. One test strip costs $1, and each camper checks his or her blood sugar on average ten times per week, adding up to $13,000-$15,000 of test strips. The remaining $500 will cover the costs of establishing educational outreach programs to attract more children in rural parts of Georgia.
Camp’s long-term impact for children and families is enormous. Research shows that people who attend camps like Kudzu experience significant improvement in diabetes management and blood glucose control. As such, children who attend camps like Camp Kudzu or otherwise educate themselves can avoid complications such as blindness and kidney failure. Furthermore, families with more knowledge will make fewer visits to emergency medical facilities, saving money and time. I know that together, we can help make a lasting difference with Georgian families and make the world a better place!
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