Buddy & Volunteer Applications for 2026 are OPEN!
Whispering Winds hosts TWO weekend Family Camp experiences for families who have children (of any age) with special needs. These unique Family Camp experiences take place at the Whispering Winds campgrounds in the lovely Julian mountains on June 12-14, 2026, for families with a special camper aged 0-17 and on September 25-27, 2026, for families with a special camper age 18+.
To make this happen, we need a cadre of mature, compassionate, and enthusiastic volunteers to serve our special needs campers’ unique needs, their typical siblings, and parents.
Each camper with special needs will be paired with an adult Special Camper Buddy (25-30 needed each weekend). We also need 5-10 additional adult volunteers to help run specialized camp activities and provide higher levels of supervision and interaction with these exceptional families. For our June weekend, we also offer families with neurotypical siblings aged 5 and under a dedicated 1:1 high school Child Care Assistant (CCA) (about 8-10 needed).
Please review the three (3) opportunities below to serve families during our Camp InDeed weekend, and apply for the one that best suits your interests and availability.
1. Special Camper Buddy (SCB)* – Adult volunteer exclusively paired 1:1 with a child with special needs of any age/disability for the entire weekend. Our goal is to ensure each family feels confident that their child’s special needs are fully met, while campers enjoy a fun-loving, caring companion throughout all planned weekend activities. Service dates: June 12-14, 2026, for families with a special camper aged 0-17, and September 25-27, 2025, for families with a special camper aged 18+. Included: lodging, six meals plus snacks, and a Buddy T-shirt. (Minimum age: 18 and graduated from high school by June 12). Must attend mandatory evening training session:
- Training for June 12-14, 2026 Weekend will be on Thursday, May 28, 2026
- Training for September 25-27, 2026, weekend is still TBD
2. All Weekend-long Camp Activity Volunteers – All Weekend-long volunteers to assist with designated camp activities (i.e., lead/assist arts & crafts; lead/assist meadow games and/or indoor games; lead/assist music/dance; provide swimming pool supervision & assistance; provide set-up/tear-down support, etc.) for children with special needs and/or their family members. Must be able to commit to attend camp from Friday at 2 pm until Sunday at 3 pm, either/both June & September weekends. Included: meals & lodging. (Minimum age: 18). Must attend mandatory evening training session: Thursday, May 28, 2026, for the June weekend (training for the September weekend: TBD). The cost per All Weekend-long Volunteer for 2026 is $100 (to cover meals and lodging). Payment is due in full at the time of online registration.
3. Child Care Assistant (CCA) – Students entering 9th – 12th grade paired 1:1 with a typical sibling 5 and under and/or providing camp activity support for families throughout the June weekend ONLY. More details on CCAs.