Adventure Awaits at Stepping Stones This Summer

Seven-year-old Ceci was a bit apprehensive at Summer Day Camp in 2025. After all, it was her first time at Stepping Stones and she didn’t know anyone very well. One day, her camp counselor Christina noticed that Ceci looked curious about the slip-n-slide that fellow campers were doing. Says Christina, “Ceci watched the others for a while, and then she and I went down together. When we reached the bottom, she had a smile on her face, so we kept going down until we were covered in mud!”

For Ceci, that experience is exactly what Summer Day Camp came to represent… ADVENTURE! And that’s why she can’t wait to get back in June. According to her mother Liz, Stepping Stones has been quite a blessing for their family. “There are so few resources for summer programming for children like Ceci”, she said. “Most camps don’t have the capacity or willingness to make accommodations for kids like Ceci, but Stepping Stones does. She and the other kids deserve to have fun, to have a slice of joy during summertime.” They deserve… adventure! 

Liz says Stepping Stones has filled a huge void in terms of social interaction for Ceci. “Dropping her off every day and hearing the counselors says ‘Hey Ceci!’ has given her an element of social interaction all to herself.” From the moment she arrives, Ceci finds adventure. As Liz surmises, “at the end of the day she is wiped out and so happy. It is time well spent for Ceci.”

Looking back, mom was nervous that first day she dropped Ceci off at Stepping Stones. She wondered if Ceci would have fun, if she would make friends. But what she found was an entire team of people committed to kids just like hers. Says Liz, “there is nothing else like it. It makes summer better for Ceci. It makes summer better for everyone.” 

Will you consider a gift to Stepping Stones in support of participants like Ceci? We sincerely appreciate your generosity!