(Over the course of the next few weeks, the Lincoln Parish Journal is republishing some of its most memorable stories from the past year … some of our readers favorites).
by Malcolm Butler
Tears have different meanings.
When Caleb Seney’s eyes well up with tears talking about his journey at MedCamps of Louisiana and the impact the special needs summer camp has on its campers, those are emotions full of joy and compassion.
Caleb has served as the Executive Director at MedCamps of Louisiana for the past 23 summers, but his history with the place that provides a magical experience for special needs children dates back even further.
That is when his love and passion for the camp’s purpose and its campers began.
Flash back to the summer of 1993 when Caleb was a student at Springhill High School and his older brother, Tony, was the head camp counselor in the infant years of MedCamps.
Tony was in search of an additional counselor for the summer after dismissing one and knew who to call.
“(Tony) called me and asked if I wanted to come out and work with him the rest of the summer,” remembers Caleb. “I said, ‘Yeah. What do you do?’ He said, ‘I run a summer camp.’ And I said, ‘Heck, yeah.’”
It was the start of a more than three-decade love affair between Caleb and the camp.
Caleb continued to work at MedCamps throughout his college days at ULM (then NLU) as he spent each summer giving his time and his energy to the campers.
Sometimes people are fortunate enough to find their true calling in life.
For Caleb, that’s MedCamps of Louisiana.
“I worked out here every summer in college,” said Caleb. “I eventually became head counselor. Then I graduated from college. I thought, ‘Well, I need to go get a real job.’”
Following graduation from college, Caleb moved to Shreveport for his first real job, working for his uncle and aunt for a few years. However, eventually his journey led him back to Monroe and back into a career of serving others as he worked with special needs people for a company called Care Solutions.
That is when he contacted MedCamps of Louisiana founder Michael Zambie about reconnecting with the entity.
“I contacted Dr. Zambie,” said Caleb. “I said, ‘Hey, I want to get plugged back in to MedCamps. What can I do?’
“He told me that they needed new board members, younger board members. He said I would be a good fit because I worked out there long enough that I knew what was going on with MedCamps.”
Caleb joined the board of directors in the late summer of 2002.
“I knew (Caleb) from when he was a counselor,” said Dr. Zambie. “And he was a great counselor. And then he was the head counselor, and I got to know him even more. That was when I was really involved with the camp quite a bit. He came back and wanted to be on the board of directors.”
Then soon after, MedCamps was in search of a new executive director. Enter Caleb.
“We had gone through two or three (executive) directors during a two- or three-year period,” said Dr. Zambie. “We just had a tough time finding anyone who we felt was a good fit for the camp. He approached me and told me he wanted to apply for the job.
“He was by far the best candidate we interviewed. Plus, he had such a love for and history with the camp. We felt like Caleb would be a perfect fit.”
So, in 2003, Caleb took over the head role at the camp. And according to everyone involved, drastic changes were needed as the camp was not in great shape – either financially or from a facility standpoint.
After starting out in 1987 as a special needs camp for kids with asthma (Camp Easy Breeze) and being held on the ULM campus, MedCamps of Louisiana needed a new home.
Dr. Zambie said a local paster, Ed Hurley, arranged for him to meet with the Presbytery of the Pines which owns Camp Alabama to discuss a partnership.
“We eventually moved it to Camp Alabama around 1990,” said Dr. Zambie. “The camp had pretty much been abandoned. (The facilities) were pretty dilapidated. It needed a lot of work.”
Despite the lack of top-notch facilities, the camp continued to grow throughout the 1990s, according to Dr. Zambie.
“Every year we would have someone approach us and say, ‘Hey, would you have a camp for autistic kids? Would you have a camp for wheelchair bound kids?’ So, each year we would add a camp at a time,” said Dr. Zambie. “We would add camps to the MedCamps umbrella as we felt they were needed.”
Located in Sibley (about 10 miles east of Ruston), MedCamps of Louisiana’s mission is to improve the health and wellness of people living with chronic illnesses and disabilities through unique recreational and educational camping experiences.
When Caleb assumed responsibilities as the executive director in 2003, he knew across the board changes were needed if the camp was going to grow. He addressed the topic with Dr. Zambie before taking the job.
“I said the only caveat Dr. Zambie is you are going to have to protect me because we need to make some changes,” remembers Caleb. “He said, ‘I fully agree, and I have your back.’
“We limped through that first summer. I started two weeks before camp started. The staff was already in place. I had zero influence on any of that. The one thing I did that won the support of Dr. Zambie was I went to him with some financial ideas.”
Some of those ideas were instrumental in allowing the camp to get back on its feet financially and start moving forward to where it is today.
“Caleb has been the best thing that ever happened to MedCamps of Louisiana,” said Dr. Zambie. “He has taken it from a little small camp with 100 or 150 (campers) to up to over 500.”
Including weekend retreats and family camps, MedCamps of Louisiana serves over 800 kids a year.
These days MedCamps of Louisiana holds summer sessions for a multitude of special needs groups, including family camps (three in fall and three in spring) as well as summer camps for various ages. The summer camps include sessions focused on autism, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, Type I diabetes, sickle cell anemia, muscular dystrophy, and other disabilities and chronic illnesses.
And one of its main goals is for every camper to attend for free, meaning fundraising is critical.
Caleb has introduced a wide variety of fundraising platforms over the past two decades as the camps budget has increased exponentially. MedCamps is totally funded through fundraising, individual contributions and grants.
It is no easy task, but it is one that Caleb has excelled at.
“He has done a marvelous job of spreading the word, not only in northeast Louisiana but throughout the entire state and region,” said Dr. Zambie.
“That’s what a big part of his job is,” said MedCamps board member Thomas Davison. “He has to raise money so these campers can go for free. He is great on the fundraising side, whether it is with individuals or groups. It is so easy for me to give to MedCamps because I know the impact it has on so many families.”
It is truly a labor of love.
“It’s not always easy,” said Caleb. “There have been a lot of tough times. A lot of battles, but the vision has always been the same. I knew we could make it better. And we have.”
He was also instrumental in starting the partnership with the Louisiana Tech School of Design more than a decade ago that led to tremendous upgrades to Camp Alabama’s facilities.
Although Caleb has made his impact on MedCamps in so many different ways, those who are around him say his biggest asset is his love for the kids who attend.
“I don’t think MedCamps would be where it is today without Caleb’s leadership and love,” said Davison. “God put him in that role for a reason. I cannot see him anywhere else but MedCamps. The way he interacts with those kids is special. It is what he was made to do.
“Caleb has a loving heart for these kids. He has a servant’s heart. It is what has made MedCamps so successful.”
Kacie Whipple, who has been associated with MedCamps in various roles since 2010, echoes Davison’s sentiments.
“I don’t think I have ever met anyone who puts others before themselves as much as Caleb does,” said Whipple, who now serves as Camp Director. “He pours his heart and soul into MedCamps.
“It is truly one of his other children. He obviously has (his own daughters) Abby and Audrey, but MedCamps is a third (child) to him. He has a heart to serve, and he makes sure the campers have a once in a lifetime experience that they cannot get anywhere else. He is so dedicated to (MedCamps) and its mission.”
The board members see it. The staff sees it. And so do the parents of the campers.
“As parents, entrusting our son Lawson to anyone is no small thing, but MedCamps and Caleb earned our complete trust from the very first summer he attended camp,” said former Louisiana Tech Director of Athletics Tommy McClelland and his wife, Jessica, whose oldest son attended during their time in Ruston. “Caleb’s vision and compassion create an environment where children with special challenges thrive.
“We witnessed firsthand how Lawson grew in confidence, independence, and joy, surrounded by caring staff who treated him as their own. MedCamps does not just run a summer program: they serve with humility and heart, offering each child the invaluable gift of belonging. We are forever grateful to Caleb and the entire MedCamps family for caring for a parents most precious treasure: their children.”
Anyone who has witnessed Caleb walking across the Camp Alabama grounds interacting with the kids can easily see his love and dedication for what is much more than just a job.
“Caleb has such a passion for our kids and MedCamps,” said Heather Pullen, whose son Britt attended its summer camps. “It is such an amazing experience for the campers year after year. He pours every ounce of his heart and soul into them and the camp.
“I have never seen anyone outside of our family members care about our kids more than Caleb. It takes a special kind of person to do what he does. We are so fortunate to have something so spectacular in our community.”
While those around him talk about what Caleb has meant to MedCamps and its staff and campers, he is quick to deflect any credit. Instead, he claims to be the one who is blessed.
“I thought I would do it for only a few years, but I love it,” said Caleb. “I know beyond a shadow of a doubt what God created me to do. There is no doubt in my mind. God ordained me to do this.”
Emotional for sure.
