Diabetes Camp FAQ's | camphopewell

A health history is required for every camper and a health screening is done after arrival at camp. All medications brought to camp are kept safely in the Health Center and dispensed by our Health Care Manager. Our Health Care Manager works under the direction of our camp nurse who visits the camp daily and our camp physician who is on call. Baptist Memorial Hospital is only 15 minutes away. Basic accident and illness insurance is carried on all campers. All adult camp staff members are certified in first aid/CPR. Parents or guardians will be called in the event of any illness or injury that requires a doctor’s care.

A note on blood glucose checks: Campers will check blood glucose upon waking up, before each meal, before pool time, and any other times in which the camper feels the need to check. Blood glucose is checked at mid of night (2 hours after campers have gone to sleep) and at 4am . These nighttime checks are done by the nurses and counselors and often do not require the camper to wake up. A camper will be woken up if treatment is needed for his/her blood glucose. Ketones are also checked every morning.
Nutritional Information : At camp, we use carb counting (15 grams CHO = 1 carb) and the MyPlate systems for teaching the campers about balanced nutrition and how to improve blood glucose control. We also use the food pyramid to for identifying the basic food groups. Whether one has diabetes or not, it is important to eat from each food group. Mealtimes are at 8:30 am (Breakfast), 12:30pm (Lunch), and 5:30 PM (Dinner). Snacks are served at 3:30 PM and at 8:30 PM. Campers select foods and are encouraged to try new foods. Portion control is encouraged! Campers sit with their cabin group and if needed, counselors will assist campers with food choices. Carbohydrate counting worksheets are completed at the conclusion of the meal. Meal boluses are completed before the camper leaves the table.
Medical Supervision:
- Medical Director- Our medical director is Marguerite Baker, C-PNP AC, who is involved in a year view of diabetes camp.
- Cabin Nurses: Each cabin is assigned a camp nurse to oversee the diabetes care. All nurses wear a fanny pack with blood glucose monitors, strips, glucose tabs, and Glucagon.

All counselors are 18 years old or older. Most have completed one or more years of college. All have a firm Christian faith. All prospects complete a written application, are interviewed by a director, and undergo a background check. For some positions, like lifeguards, we require proof of certification and require a skills test performed at Hopewell. For other positions, such as Challenge Course Lead, we require special training and review skills on our course. All staff are required to attend two weeks of counselor’s training. A director is at camp during all camp sessions. Staff is observed daily. The directors conduct formal performance reviews. Staff members Lindsay & Robert Hall live onsite and share responsibilities for care of campers and staff.

YES! However, only children with Type 1 Diabetes may sign up for diabetes camp sessions. Even though camp programs are separated by age and special interests, there is something for all ages almost every week.

Cabin mate requests can be made with campers who are in the same camp session. We try to honor requests for a cabin mate. We ask that you only request ONE cabin mate. It may be impossible to put multiple requests all together.

As Diabetes technology evolves and approves, so too do our policies. Take a look at our Diabetes Camp Device Guide here for what we did in 2025. This document will be updated prior to registration opening to include new technology & new protocol.

If you have any questions or concerns, we encourage you to reach out! Our Diabetes Camp device protocol are developed with two main goals in mind: to encourage our campers to develop independence & to allow our camp nurses to do the best job they can to care for your campers while at Camp.

Bunk1 is a website we use to share photos of your camper while at camp and is a service you can choose to use to send letters to them while they are here. Campers cannot send you notes back through Bunk1 from Camp Hopewell. They can, however, write you letters during downtime, so we encourage you to pack addressed and stamped envelopes in their luggage!

Sending letters costs "credits", but photo gallery access is free with our code (which will be shared with you via email). Sometimes the free option tries to hide from parents, so be sure to close out of any pop-ups and scroll all the way to the bottom!

While electronics (other than medical devices) are not allowed at Hopewell, we do have a couple ways in which you can stay in touch with your camper while they are here!

If your child wears a CGM, we ask that he or she bring their non-cell phone receiver or scanner instead of their cell phone. If you do not have a non-cell phone receiver or scanner, a cell phone is allowed but must be given to the nurse or counselor with cellular capabilities turned off. We disconnect the “share” feature on CGMs during the week of camp. We have medical staff at camp who work directly with our counselors to ensure everyone with diabetes is safe. Often by the time a parent may notice an abnormal blood sugar (trending low or high) via the share feature, it has already been taken care of due to the well-trained staff.

To keep in touch with your camper, we encourage you to write some letters! Encourage your child to have fun and inquire about new friends and new things being learned. Tell your child how proud you are of him/her and how much you love them, while avoiding references to how much they are being missed. Pack these letters with your camper, as mail will not be collected during registration or delivered during our sessions this year by camp staff. Do not send snacks. The camp will provide all snacks.

You may FAX letters to (662-234-4150) and they will be delivered around lunchtime each day.

For a fee, you may also wish to use Bunk1.com’s one-way email service. You may access this service via our website (www.camphopewell.com) by clicking on “Summer Camp” and then “Bunk 1”. Bunknotes and faxes must be sent prior to 10 am on the desired delivery day otherwise they will be delivered the following day. Bunknotes or faxes sent from parents after 10 am on the last full day of the camp session will not be delivered to the camper.

Experience has shown that visits during a 6-day camp can detract from the child’s experience and often will trigger missing home in other campers. We ask that parents and friends do not visit during camp. If a visit is necessary, please make arrangements through the office before arriving at camp. Upon arrival, please remain in your vehicle until greeted and directed by a staff person. No visitors are allowed on camp property after 10:00pm, except in case of an emergency.

Counselors and Camp Directors are trained extensively on handling personal and medical situations with your children. However, in extreme cases of missing home, medical illness or injury, or other situations where a Director deems it necessary to contact a parent, you will be phoned by a Director.

If you would like to call and check on your child, you may call the camp office during the hours of 9 am-4 pm at 662‐234-2254 for an update. If there is an after-hours emergency, call the camp office and an emergency number will be given to you on the voice mail.

We want to assure you that your child is in excellent hands. Each cabin has its own nurse, every counselor goes through extensive Diabetes training, and our medical director has over 30 years of Diabetes Camping experience. Highs and lows will happen at camp and we are capable of handling it! There will be a review of your child's blood sugars at checkout with the cabin nurse.

Your child will be sleeping in one of our many cabins or lodges. Which one depends on the age and number of kids signed up for that session. You will be informed of the specific cabin that your camper will be staying in at check-in prior to your camper's stay. To view our cabins, head over to www.camphopewell.com/lodging-and-facilities. All cabins at Hopewell have private bathrooms and air conditioning!