Camp Caravan 2026 Site Application

Camp Caravan 2026 – Site Application

Hosting Information & Partnership Overview

Interest in hosting Camp Caravan continues to grow, and the ways we partner with congregations and community sites continue to evolve as we look toward the 2026 season.

Congregations and community partners interested in hosting Camp Caravan in 2026 are invited to complete this short application. The information you share will help us better understand your site, assess readiness and capacity, and support thoughtful matching between Camp Caravan and host communities.

Camp weeks are confirmed based on a range of factors, including site suitability, community capacity, staffing considerations, geographic balance, and the details provided in this application.

Please note: An inability to answer “YES” to all questions will not automatically disqualify a site from consideration. We value conversation, creativity, and shared problem-solving as part of our discernment process.

Applications for the 2026 season will remain open until all available camp weeks are confirmed.

Why Camp Caravan?
In partnership with local United Church congregations and community partners across Chinook Winds Region, Camp Caravan provides trained and equipped leaders who nurture the spirit of each child and support children and families in living lives shaped by faith, hope, compassion, and belonging.

Camp Caravan is hosted in United Church and community spaces to support meaningful relationship-building with children and families—both those already connected to the church and those from the surrounding community. By bringing Camp Caravan into local neighbourhoods, we strengthen ministries with children, youth, and families and help foster connections that continue well beyond the camp week.

Why Host Camp Caravan?
Hosting Camp Caravan is an opportunity to open your space to children and families in a joyful, welcoming, and values-based environment. Rooted in the Christian faith of the United Church, Camp Caravan expresses faith through hospitality, compassion, curiosity, and care for one another.

Through this partnership, your site becomes a place where children experience belonging, kindness, creativity, and community—while enjoying a meaningful and memorable summer camp experience. Camp Caravan is intentionally designed to be welcoming of children and families from all backgrounds, with faith shared in inclusive, age-appropriate, and accessible ways.

Why Is a Camp Caravan Site Host Important?
The Camp Caravan Site Host plays a vital role in ensuring a successful, safe, and welcoming camp experience. Site Hosts help ground the camp in the local community and provide essential on-site support.

Areas of support include:

Building Relationships
Acting as a bridge between the congregation, community, campers, and families—helping foster connections that extend beyond the camp week.
Logistical Support
Assisting with access to spaces, daily setup needs, and supporting smooth camp operations.
Health & Safety Support
Partnering with Camp Caravan staff to help ensure a secure, well-managed environment for children, volunteers, and staff.
Hospitality & Welcome
Helping create a space where all participants feel valued, respected, and at home.

Camp Caravan: A Summer of Fun, Friendship & Faith

Camp Caravan is a joyful, week-long summer day camp for children entering Kindergarten to Grade 7. Each day is filled with adventure, creativity, and connection—inviting kids to explore kindness, community, and the joy of being themselves.

Through hands-on activities, outdoor play, music, stories, and team games, campers experience faith in action in ways that are welcoming, inclusive, and fun. Led by a caring team of trained leaders, Camp Caravan creates a space where every child feels safe, supported, and celebrated.

Rooted in the Christian tradition of the United Church of Canada, Camp Caravan reflects a faith that is open, relational, justice-seeking, and grounded in love. Faith is shared through curiosity, creativity, and compassion, honouring diverse identities, beliefs, and family experiences while centring values of belonging, care, and community.

Camp Caravan also nurtures leadership and growth across ages. In addition to our core camper program, many sites welcome Junior Youth (ages 12–14) who enjoy the full camp experience while stepping into emerging leadership by supporting younger campers. YouthCrew (ages 15–17) serve as junior staff, receiving mentorship from senior leaders while gaining leadership experience, responsibility, and volunteer hours—all at no cost to participate.

Come discover a week of friendship, laughter, and meaningful moments—for campers, youth, and leaders alike—because at Camp Caravan, adventure is always on the move.

What Makes Camp Caravan Special

Everyone Belongs
Camp Caravan is intentionally inclusive. Every child and youth is welcomed just as they are.
Faith You Can Experience
Faith is explored through play, creativity, service, and storytelling—meeting young people where they are.
Learning Through Doing
Hands-on, experiential activities keep campers engaged, curious, and excited.
Outdoor & Community-Based
We spend time outside every day and connect with local neighbourhood spaces.
Accessible to Families
Subsidy options are available so finances are never a barrier to participation.

Core Values
Belong • Wonder • Care • Create
Rooted in Belonging. Guided by Wonder. Grounded in Care. Lived through Creativity.

Camp Caravan is a ministry of First Third Ministry, in partnership with Fish Creek Shared Ministries and Chinook Winds Regional Council, offering community-based summer programs where Christian faith is lived through relationship, play, and shared purpose.

Becoming a Camp Caravan Host Site: What We Need From You

Contact Name / Person Filling Out Application

First NameLast Name

Email

example@example.com

Phone Number

Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.

Name of Community of Faith and city in which you are located.

ie. Beloved United Church, Calgary

Outdoor Space: Are you able to provide access to a green space within a safe, 10-minute walk from your location for daily outdoor physical activity?

Publicity & Marketing: Are you able to actively promote Camp Caravan by: - Displaying a Camp Caravan banner and/or sandwich board several months before camp, - Posting flyers on local community bulletin boards, and - Engaging with local community and family services to help spread the word?

Community Engagement: Are you able to coordinate one to three Community Engagement sessions during Camp Caravan week? Community Engagement happens each afternoon (1–1.5 hours) and offers campers a site-specific, full-group activity led by a member of the Community of Faith or wider community. This could include activities such as card-making, bread-making, watercolour painting, felting, woodworking, science experiments, gardening, drumming, nature walks, bird watching, or outreach projects. Would your site be able to organize or host these sessions?

Insurance Coverage 1: As a host site, you are required to provide liability insurance coverage for Camp Caravan while it is operating in your space. Can your Community of Faith confirm that it can provide insurance coverage for Camp Caravan?

Insurance Coverage 2: If there are any limitations or concerns with insurance coverage, please let us know.

Food Security & Meal Support 1: We recognize that food security is an increasing concern for many families. To help alleviate this stress and ensure all campers are nourished throughout the day, we ask host site to provide snacks and encourage them to consider providing lunch during Camp Caravan. Would your Community of Faith be willing to provide lunch for campers and staff?

Food Security & Meal Support 2: If so, what meal and snack support do you anticipate being able to offer? (We will be able to support menu planning.)

Food Security & Meal Support 3: If not, would you be open to partnering with local organizations, food banks, or community groups to explore meal options?

Financial Support: Camp Caravan is a travelling ministry program, which comes with unique costs as we operate without a fixed campus and across multiple host sites. To ensure the sustainability of this ministry, all host sites are asked to contribute financially, helping to share these costs across all Camp Caravan program weeks for the benefit of every community involved. The cost to adequately staff and run one week of Camp Caravan—including staffing, training, programming, and activity supplies—is just over $10,000. To help support this ministry, we ask that your Community of Faith consider budgeting a minimum contribution of $1000 to $1,500 or more if possible. Please confirm the dollar amount your Community of Faith is able to contribute toward hosting Camp Caravan through your Community of Faith's operating budget or other fundraising initiatives?

Facility Use & Safety 1: To ensure camper and staff safety, and to minimize daily setup/takedown, we ask for a group space that may be left set up and a secure place to leave Camp Caravan supplies and equipment for the week. Do you have a space that would accommodate this request?

Facility Use & Safety 2: To ensure camper and staff safety, we ask that all other programming in your building be paused during Camp Caravan week if possible. Are there any ongoing rentals or programs (e.g., AA groups) that you would be unable or hesitant to cancel? Please list group/program, day of the week, and time.

Volunteer Discernment: Are you able to carefully discern volunteers who are: - Well-suited for a camp environment, - Comfortable working with today’s children and their unique behaviours, - Flexible in responding to camp dynamics (e.g., weather, unexpected changes), and - Committed to upholding the First Third Ministry Leadership Code of Conduct?

Do you have a Site Host in mind? If so, please share their name(s) and role(s) within your community.

Site Host Commitment: Will your Site Host: - Fulfill all responsibilities as outlined in the position description, - Sign the First Third Leadership Code of Conduct, and - Complete Prevent It! training to ensure a safe and positive camp experience for all?

Camp Caravan Host Site Position Description

Camp Caravan Site Host Guide

Camp Caravan Staff Accommodations – Communities of Faith Outside the Calgary Area

Camp Caravan prioritizes community-sourced accommodations, which help build relationships and reduce costs. As part of this approach, we have moved away from housing staff in hotels or rented accommodations whenever possible.

Our accommodation requests are as follows:

Homestay Option

For locations within the Chinook Winds Region but outside the Calgary area, we ask host sites to provide:

Homestays for up to six staff members, with a minimum of two staff per home, each with separate beds, within a 20-minute travel distance to the church/camp location.

A Homestay includes:

At least two separate beds in a home with a Police Record Checked adult(s) living there
Kitchen access and groceries for breakfast preparation
Kitchen access and groceries or dinner prepared for homestay guests
Homestay hosts are referred by your Community of Faith and vetted by Camp Caravan
A per-person, per-night remuneration is provided to the homestay host

Alternative Accommodation Option

If homestays are not available, an alternative accommodation arrangement may be made by providing:

A location with separate beds for up to seven people (six staff + one local chaperone), such as an empty home, camp buildings, lodge, or Vrbo
A vetted responsible adult (age 25+) to stay with the team for the week (job description available)
Camp Caravan will contribute the equivalent homestay remuneration toward this accommodation and food

For further details, the 2025 Homestay Guide is available below.

Homestay Guide

Based on the information above, are you able to provide Homestays or alternative accommodations for Camp Caravan staff?

If providing Homestays is not an option, please describe the alternative accommodation arrangements your Community of Faith can offer for Camp Caravan staff.

And now for the exciting part! Please select your top three preferred weeks for your Community of Faith to host Camp Caravan 2026.

Rows	July 6-10, 2026	July 13-17, 2026	July 20-24, 2026	July 27-31, 2026	Aug 4-7, 2026 (4 days)	Aug 10-14, 2026	Aug 17-21, 2026
First Choice
Second Choice
Third Choice

Final Thoughts: As we continue to grow the Camp Caravan community, we’d love to hear from you! - What excites you most about the possibility of hosting Camp Caravan? - Are there any unique aspects of your site that could enhance the camp experience? - Do you have creative engagement ideas to connect with your wider community through this ministry? We welcome any additional thoughts, ideas, or inspiration you’d like to share!

Thank You & Contact Information

Thank you for taking the time to complete this application and for your dedication to creating a meaningful Camp Caravan experience. Your thoughtful responses help ensure we build a program that is well-equipped, capable, and ready to serve our Communities of Faith.

If you have any curiosities, wonders, questions or would like to discuss any details further, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Lisa Penzo at lpenzo@united-church.ca .

Thank you for your commitment to this ministry—we look forward to partnering with you!