Design Guide Online Editorial

This year I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Camp Barnabas, a nonprofit camp that provides life-changing opportunities for children with special needs. This beautiful and loving organization serves over 1,300 special needs children who travel from all regions of the U.S. each summer. For those of us who had the life-changing experience of summer camp as children and want our own children to share in similar experiences, Camp Barnabas provides just that for children with mental or physical challenges and/or chronic illnesses. A Christian summer camp, Camp Barnabas was established to give children who are faced with incredibly adult challenges year-round the opportunity to experience life as a kid. Each summer children with special needs come to be participants in life rather than observers of a life that they cannot participate in.

Camp Barnabas has recently grown their operational offerings with the addition of a new on-site hospital — known on campus as the Well House. The all volunteer medical team of six to eight nurses and two physicians allow children with cancer, hemophilia, Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, autism, spina bifida and many other rare and debilitating diseases to come to camp enjoy their time at summer camp.

Like most people, I was so touched by the mission and services offered by Camp Barnabas and was thrilled to learn of the new hospital they were building on the campus. I jumped at the chance to volunteer my interior design services for the Well House early last year and called my good friend and fellow designer Robyn Zumwalt to bring her on board as well. And then the fun really started!

As the volunteer interior designers for the project, we were tasked with developing the design specifications and procuring furniture for the Well House as well as the adjoining dormitory wing for the volunteer doctors and nurses who so graciously come to the camp to care for the children and stay for long periods of time. We had a budget to work with so I hit the streets asking for help from many of the generous and talented vendors I have worked with over the years in this business. Just about everyone said yes to either providing a deep discount or by offering items at 100 percent donation.

Two of the huge donations came from Delivery Limited here in Dallas. Delivery Limited provided the incredibly necessary and generous service of receiving and storing the furniture and other goods we were collecting over the months at no charge And in addition, Delivery Limited deeply discounted their service cost for delivering our items to Camp Barnabas in Purdy, Missouri. Once there, they set everything up for us. Thank you so much Delivery Limited … what a fantastic company!

Palecek, a Dallas furniture showroom located in the Trade center, is another company that gave with gusto. Palacek’s beautiful furniture was used exclusively in the Well House lobby, providing the exact balance beauty and comfort we hoped to create. Palacek generously and deeply discounted their furniture and provided beautiful art at no charge. Their generosity, kindness and support has made me as a customer for life. Thank you Palacek for a gift that will provide comfort to thousands of children for years to come.

This experience reminded me of the Biblical teachings — “It is better to give than to receive.” As many of these photos visually demonstrate, the magnificent camp grounds certainly nurtured my spirit as the individuals who work and live at Camp Barnabas. They are truly Angels. I was honored to have been given this opportunity to share in the generosity and kindness of my colleagues and the folks at Camp Barnabas.

Learn more about Camp Barnabas and see all the fun in action in this video.

Visit my Camp Barnabas photo gallery to see more of the Camp Barnabas splendor!

About the Designer

Pam Kelley, Dallas Interior Designer, is the Principal of Pam Kelley & Associates where she has been working as an independent interior designer for almost 40 years. She is licensed by the State Board of Architectural examiners and is a member of the following organizations: American Society of Interior Designers (A.S.I.D.), Texas Association of Interior Designers (T.A.I.D.).
 

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by: Pam Kelley