WORDS & PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
Foundation for Dreams (FFD), through its signature Dream Oaks Camp program, strives to create a place where children recognize one another as individuals, not by their disabilities. Its vision is to give individuals with special needs opportunities to learn and grow, build meaningful relationships, and develop new skills.
FFD is the only organization in Southwest Florida providing year-round weekend and summer residential camp sessions for children with varying ability levels and chronic or terminal medical conditions. After 24 years at Camp Flying Eagle, Dream Oaks welcomed campers to a new campus this summer.
“Dream Oaks Camp 2.0 represents a defining moment for FFD,” said Executive Director Elena Cassella. “For the first time in our history, we have a campus we can truly call our own. Operating independently gives us the freedom to grow, innovate, and serve more children and families than ever before. This is much more than a new location. It is the foundation for the future of our organization.”
The new campus creates opportunities that did not exist before, including possible family camps, sibling weekends, and a Young Adult Weekend program for ages 18 to 30. Elena hopes these programs will provide continued opportunities for connection and independence beyond childhood. The campus also gives FFD space to collaborate with other nonprofits on day programming, overnight retreats, and community events, extending its reach throughout the region.
Elena could barely contain her excitement when talking about future projects. Plans include shade structures over the playground and pool, a multipurpose recreation field, and a covered pool pavilion. Other possibilities include an outdoor grilling area and lighting around the fire pit for evening gatherings.
“This journey has been more than six years in the making,” Elena said. “Some of our supporters have been with us from day one, believing in this vision before there were renovated buildings, before there were plans on walls, and before this campus began to come back to life. So many others joined us along the way, helping this dream move forward step by step.
“This new campus is much more than buildings and renovations,” she continued. “It is a place where children with special needs and chronic illnesses are seen for their abilities and their potential. Friendships are formed, confidence grows, and children truly feel like they belong.”
County Commissioner George Kruse sees FFD as a unique nonprofit, providing experiences for children with special needs and chronic illnesses that are often unavailable elsewhere in Southwest Florida. He and his wife, Jess, have supported the organization for more than a decade.
“When an opportunity presented itself for the county to assist the camp in expanding in Manatee County, we jumped into action,” George said. Seeing what Elena, her staff, and all the volunteers have done for the campus at Rye Preserve is heartwarming and exciting. I can’t wait to see the new Dream Oaks Camp full of smiling, laughing kids just being kids—for a day, a weekend, or a summer.”
Sheriff Tom Porter has served as treasurer on the FFD Board of Directors for three years, but his connection to Dream Oaks began long before he joined the board. He has gotten to know campers and their families and has seen firsthand the impact of the camp.
“I love this new location,” Tom said. “I spent a lot of time here when it was the Sheriff’s Youth Ranch, and it’s a great facility. It has taken a lot of work, but watching the transformation into the new camp has been incredible. This property gives us the opportunity to allow more campers to attend and provide even more activities.”
After more than two decades at Camp Flying Eagle, Dream Oaks has begun a new chapter at Rye Preserve. With its first summer underway and plans for the future taking shape, the place FFD can finally call its own has plenty of room to grow.
For more information about Foundation for Dreams and Dream Oaks Camp, visit www.foundationfordreams.org.
More Than a Camp: A Place Where Everyone Belongs
How one family’s journey reflects the life-changing impact of Dream Oaks Camp
WORDS: Jamey Keefer
Jamey Keefer is the Community Advocate for Dream Oaks Camp and a longtime supporter of Foundation for Dreams. As the mother of longtime camper Lucas and camp leader Hannah, she has experienced Dream Oaks as a parent, volunteer coordinator, and staff member. She is passionate about creating inclusive communities where individuals are recognized for their abilities and encouraged to reach their fullest potential.
Foundation for Dreams’ Dream Oaks Camp exists to enrich the lives of children and teens with special needs through inclusive, confidence-building experiences. Camp is a place where friendships flourish, independence grows, and every camper is celebrated for who they are. For my family, Dream Oaks has become part of our story.
Long before I joined the staff as a Community Advocate, I experienced Dream Oaks as a parent. I watched my son, Lucas, arrive each summer with excitement and anticipation, while my daughter, Hannah, grew from a young teenager into a confident leader. Over six summers, she has taken on increasing responsibility and now serves in a leadership role, mentoring fellow counselors. Today, as an employee, I see firsthand the dedication and love that make this place so extraordinary.
As both a parent and staff member, I have seen what happens when individuals are given opportunities to grow and discover their strengths. One of those individuals is my son, Lucas.
Now 17, Lucas has spent the last eight summers at Dream Oaks. This summer marked his final year as a camper before aging out of the program.
“Dream Oaks means a lot to me,” he said. “It’s a place where people learn how to socialize, have conversations, and make new friends. Everyone belongs here.”
For Lucas, camp has never been just about activities.
“The activities are fun, but it’s really the people that make Dream Oaks special. The counselors, the nurses, the lunch staff, and the other campers are all kind. They care about you and make you feel like you matter.”
Over the years, I have watched Lucas grow in confidence and independence. Each summer, he returned home a little more self-assured. As his final summer came to a close, I asked him how it felt to graduate from the camper program.
“I’ve spent eight amazing years at Dream Oaks, and I’ll never forget the people who became so close to me. Even though I’m aging out as a camper, I hope to come back one day and work here.”
Lucas also has a message he wants others to hear: “Having Down syndrome doesn’t define you. It makes you unique. People with Down syndrome are capable of being independent, helping others, working hard, and following their dreams.”
To parents considering camp for the first time, Lucas offered simple reassurance. “It’s okay if your child is nervous. We’ll help them feel welcome, support them, and make sure they know they’re never alone.”
A Counselor‘s Perspective
Lucas’s story is only one chapter of our family’s Dream Oaks journey. My daughter, Hannah, began working at Dream Oaks at 14. Through hard work and a genuine love for the campers, she has grown with the organization and now helps guide and mentor other counselors.
“I have spent the last six years working at Dream Oaks Camp. I started when I was 14 years old. It could be said that I was raised by camp,” Hannah said. “My family planned their summers around the weeks that I was scheduled to work.”
During those summers, Hannah has also had the privilege of watching campers grow up.
“It is a place where everyone is truly welcome and accepted,” she said. “Even though some days are challenging, there isn’t anywhere else I’d rather work.”
As a mother, watching both of my children experience Dream Oaks from different perspectives has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. Lucas found confidence and belonging. Hannah discovered leadership and purpose. Now, serving alongside them, I see a community where differences are celebrated, and families discover they are not alone. Dream Oaks has shaped our family in ways we never could have imagined, and for that, we will always be grateful.
