“[Camp] also helped me to recognize my issues rather than hiding from them and face those, and bring God into it.” —Maria
As a little girl, Maria didn’t realize being raised by a grandmother was unusual. But then she started school. During special events, Maria’s friends all had a mom and a dad waving from the audience—but not her.
Maria’s mother battled mental health issues which made it difficult for her to care for Maria, and her father was incarcerated before she was born. Maria’s grandmother stepped in and took custody of her.
Maria felt protected at home. Still, her grandmother couldn’t shield her from everything. Along with the loneliness she felt from missing her parents, Maria was exposed to death at a young age in her neighborhood. She developed anxiety, and because of this she didn’t like spending time away from her grandmother.
Maria was 8 years old when she first went to camp through a scholarship provided by Angel Tree® camping. Initially, she was afraid to be away from her grandmother for so long. Her grandmother had trouble getting her to share her feelings, and Maria didn’t feel like camp would be any different.
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