The Magic Behind Christmas
Repacking Christmas presents for Alkulana campers and their siblings is truly an experience filled with gratitude and humility. What moves me isn’t the bags filled with gifts, the amount of behind-the-scenes coordination required on the part of many dedicated individuals, or even the chaos that inevitably comes with the whole experience. Each year, I am more and more aware of two things. First, parents have entrusted us with the care of their Christmas morning,with the responsibility of making it special for their little ones, which is an honor and a privilege.Second, someone took time and resources out of their busy day to Christmas shop for a child they’ve never met. Those two things never fail to amaze me. As we sit amongst the bags and bags of gifts, Beth and…
Remembering Gracie Kirkpatrick: Beloved Camp Alkulana Director
Beloved friend, mentor, and former camp director, Gracie Kirkpatrick passed away in her sleep on Monday, November 4, 2024. Gracie began her work at Camp Alkulana in 1966, as a swim instructor, and later, program director. In 1978, Gracie became the Camp Director and provided leadership for the camp for the next thirty years. Gracie considered Camp Alkulana “a very definite calling” in her life, and said her purpose was “to help children to know that they are loved—by us, and even more so by God—and that they don’t have to be anything other than who they are to be loved.” She sought to create “a slice of heaven” for children and staff within the camp community, and ended up finding her chosen family there too. Gracie’s dedication and leadership…
Lights, Camera, AUCTION!
Buy your tickets now! Join us at the most anticipated event this year: Lights, Camera, AUCTION! We're rolling out the red carpet for you. Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 5 pm at Derbyshire Baptist Church.
In Memoriam
It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we share about of the death of our beloved camp counselor and friend, Taj Gregory, who passed away unexpectedly on November 28. Taj is remembered for his gentle spirit, loyal friendship, and hilarious sense of humor. Our camp staff, his family, and an entire community are grieving. This is a space to share memories of Taj. Simply type your stories in the comment thread below. Stories bind us together and help us heal, whether they’re funny or serious, recent or from the far past. Thank you for sharing your memories with us. [gallery columns="4" size="large" ids="3759,3760,3761,3762"]
Welcome, Erin!
Please welcome our new MSW intern from VCU School of Social Work, Erin Trimmer! Erin will be with us for the '23-'24 school year leading our Alkulana RVA school-year program and jumping in where ever else she's needed. Here's a little bit about Erin: Erin has lived in the Richmond area since 1999. She was a counselor at Camp Alkulana the summer after she graduated high school and is thrilled to be back in this new role. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University and is pursuing a Master’s in Social Work. Erin lives in Midlothian with her husband, son, and three dogs. She loves getting outside and riding her bike when she's not working and is forever trying to perfect her chocolate chip cookie…
Announcing: Recipients of the Westhampton Scholarship 2023!
For more information about the Westhampton Scholarship, visit this page.