Living River: A Retreat on the Cahaba
A Parent’s guide to summer camp
Living River Shares Christ-like hospitality,
Fosters stewardship of creation,
Nourishes faith
For the transformation of the world.
Welcome
Living River is very excited to have your campers with us for this upcoming camping season! At Living River we strive to provide a place for children to have fun, be safe and grow in their faith. We have a wide variety of campers and staff that will be joining our community to create a truly wonderful space for all. Our staff are well trained in areas like; Bible study, first aid & CPR, child and youth development, group dynamics, leading games and activities, and so much more. This summer is gearing up to be one of the best we have ever had here at Living River.
Our goals for your campers
Here at Living River we strive to meet the following goals with every single one of our campers:
- Become more independent
- Grow in their ability to take responsibility for themselves and their actions
- Increase skills in making and maintaining relationships with people
- Try something new and develop self confidence
- Explore and grow in their faith
Check in and Check out
Camp Sessions begin with camper registration between the times of 3PM and 4PM. We cannot start registration before 3PM because we need our staff to have time to relax and prepare for the next session of camp. IF you arrive before 3PM we will ask you to wait in the dining hall until we are ready to begin.
If you and your camper(s) will be arriving later than 4PM, let us know in advance so that we can make arrangements to have a late registration set up and ready when you arrive.
All camp sessions start on Sunday at 3PM with the exception of You and Me, Residential Middle School and Mini Camp, however those camps will still begin at 3PM
- You and Me – Friday, June 1st
- Residential Middle School and Mini Camp – Tuesday, June 5th
Checking out this summer will look different than it has in the past years. We will be offering the opportunity for families to come to Living River for lunch on the last day of the programs. Lunch will be served at 11:30, we ask parents to arrive at 11 to start the check out process. At 11 parents will sign their camper out and receive a release form that permits the counselor to return the camper back into the care of the parent. Our counselors will be specifically trained to not release the child back into the care of parents without the slip of paper.
During lunch at 11:30, the parents will have the opportunity to spend time with their camper(s) and counselors. We would like to end our sessions of camp by sharing a meal together, with everyone that makes summer camp possible and that includes the parents of our wonderful campers! Summer programs will typically end on Fridays, with a few exceptions listed:
- You and Me – Sunday, June 3rd – Living River will hold a worship service available to family members at 11AM
- Mini Camp – Thursday, June 7th – We will be hosting a lunch that follows the same schedule of the typical Friday check outs
Health & Wellness
Living River has licensed health care professionals onsite at all times to provide care in the case of illnessor injury. Normally, we will not contact parents if children receive minor injuries, such as a skinned knee,that can be effectively treated by our staff. The Health Care Center Staff will contact you if the followingshould occur:
• Your camper is in the Health Care Suite for more than four consecutive hours for an
injury/illness
• Your camper has been injured or suffered an illness that needs IMMEDIATE medical attention(Dr.’s office or Emergency Room).
In emergency situations, we will attempt to contact parents first, but we will not withholdtreatment if a parent can’t be contacted.
Health Screening
At check-in, our staff will conduct a health screening of all campers. Campers who have a fever,show obvious signs of illness, have lice or who have recently been exposed to communicable illness willnot be allowed to stay at camp.
Medications
All medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, must be turned into our health care staff at check-in. All medications must be in their original containers. Our health care staff willkeep the medications in a secure location and will provide campers with their medications asprescribed. Campers do not need to bring common over-the-counter medications such asTylenol, Ibuprofen, etc. Our health care staff can provide these medications on an as neededbasis.
Illness at Camp
The camp does not have the facilities to provide overnight care for sick campers. We cannot have a camper in the Health Care Suite for longer than 12 hours. If your camper needs further nursingobservation beyond 12 hours, he/she will need to be sent home. Campers who become ill at camp(fever, vomiting, etc.) will need to go home and parents will be responsible for providing transportation. If a child is sent home during the camp session, that balance can be transferred to another week of camp.
Homesickness
Almost everyone leaving home for a new environment experiences some uneasiness. Such feelings are normal and usually pass quickly for most children. Our staff is trained tohelp campers deal with any separation anxiety they may experience at camp. Parents play a keyrole in helping prevent homesickness. Parents should also display confidence andenthusiasm regarding the child’s upcoming experience. Parents are discouraged from tellingchildren they can call home from camp. Our experience is that such phone calls usually increasehomesickness.
Camp Community
Behavior
Campers are expected to behave in a manner consistent with the camp’s goals of providing a safe, positive, and respectful Christian community. While staff will work with campers to handleminor to moderate disciplinary problems, the camp does reserve the right to send any camper home whosebehavior is consistently inappropriate. Any direct threat or actual physical harm to one’s self orothers will result in a camper being sent home immediately. If a camper is sent home due to behavioral issues, no refunds will be given.
Electronic Equipment
Campers should not bring and will not be allowed to use any portable electronicdevices including cell phones, iPods, handheld games or laptops at camp. A significant aspect of the camp experience is being away from these distractions. In addition, cell phone use is also prohibited to help maintain the safety and security of every camper. Any electronic equipment brought to camp will be taken from campers and held by the camp management until check out. Living River will have a videographer on staff during the summer time, meaning campers will not need to bring a camera along with them. Pictures and videos will be available for free on our social media sites.
Food
The camp offers campers nutritious, well-balanced meals. In addition to our main menu, options such as cereal, salad bar or peanut butter and jelly are available at most meals. If a camper has a special dietary need please let us know on the health form.To promote the health of campers, the camp does not allow campers to bring or receive snack foods, candy, or sodas.
Prohibited Items
The camp strictly prohibits any weapons, alcohol, tobacco products or illegal drugs. Prohibited items will be confiscated and campers will be sent home immediately for bringing these itemsto camp. Campers are also prohibited from bringing pets to camp.
Personal Sports Equipment
We discourage campers from bringing personal sports equipment to camp. If brought to camp, it must be inspected and approved by camp staff prior to use. Any damage or loss of thisequipment is the camper’s responsibility.
Clothing
We expect clothing to not be offensive or make others feel uncomfortable. Clothing also needs to be safe to wear in our active program. Items thatare inappropriate include:
- Clothing that contains alcohol, tobacco or drug related logos or graphics
- Halter-tops and tube tops
- Clothing that is sheer and can be seen through
- Shorts that rise too high
- Mini-skirts
- Exposed midriffs
- Exposed underwear
- Bathing suits that are too revealing(one piece preferred)
Visitors
To protect the safety and security of campers, the camp limits visitors while camp is in session. Parents, family members, and friends should not plan to visit campers during the week but areencouraged to attend the lunch and closing program at the end of the session.
Camp Store
The camp has a store that offers a wide range of camp clothing and gift items. Campers should not bring money to camp, however, as the store will not be open during the campsession. The store will be open during both check in and check out.
Communication
Campers enjoy getting mail from home. Please realize that mail sent late in the week may not reach the camp before the end of the session. Mail can be sent to campers at:
Camper’s Name and camp session
Living River
2000 Living River Parkway
Montevallo, AL 35115
As an alternative to mailing letters, you may bring letters from home already written. Please write the day the letter is to be distributed along with the camper’s name on the envelope. A bin to deposit these letters will be available at registration. Please do not send candy or other food to campers, having extra food in cabins attracts animals and insects.
Campers can receive e-mails at camp. Please send emails to andplace child’s name and camp in the subject line. Campers will not have access to a computer toreply to or send e-mails from camp.
Telephone
The camp does not provide campers access to phones to make or receive phone calls. Phone calls disrupt the program, can promote homesickness, and distract campers from fully engagingin the camp’s activities. To avoid disappointing campers, parents should not tell them they couldcall home from camp. Campers are not permitted to use cell phones at camp for the safety of all the campers.
Contact Information
If parents have questions or need to contact camp please call (205) 208-0035. Our normal office hours in the summer are 9:00am to 5:00pm. You can also reach us by e-mail .
What to Bring
The following list includes items campers should bring to camp. Please remember that campers will be very active and should bring clothes that are comfortable, durable, and easily replaced iflost or damaged. Campers will not have access to laundry facilities so they need to bringenough clothing to last the length of camp. Any item of significant value should be left at home.To ensure the health and safety of all campers the camp staff may inspect campers’ luggageand hold items that are inappropriate at camp.
Required:
___ Shorts
___ Long pants (at least one pair)
___ Tee shirts
___ Sweatshirt/Fleece (at least one)
___ Pajamas
___ Socks (enough for each day plus extra)
___ Underwear
___ One pair of sturdy closed-toed hiking or athletic shoes
___ One pair of shoes to wear into the river that straps to foot (no flip flops)
___ Extra pair of shoes
___ Bathing suit (one piece preferred)
___ Rain jacket/poncho
___ Water bottle
___ Towels/Washcloths
___ Soap
___ Shampoo
___ Toothbrush & toothpaste
___ Other toiletries as desired
___ Pillow
___ Sleeping bag
___ Day pack/book bag
___ Bible
___Insect repellant
___ Sunscreen
___Laundry Bag for dirty clothes
Optional:
___ Flashlight
___ Stationary, envelopes and stamps
Driving Directions
Our address is 2000 Living River Parkway in Montevallo however this address will not work with GPS. We highly recommend using the written directions below. If you do use GPS enter “Slab Road, Montevallo” which will usually get you to Living River Parkway.
From the North (I - 6 5):
South on I-65 to Exit 234 (Shelby County Airport)
Left on CR-87S which turns into CR-12 W for 1.5 miles
Right on CR-22 for 9.6 miles
Right on CR-10 for 6.3 miles
Turn right onto Living River Parkway
Follow driveway for 2.2 miles
From the South (I - 6 5):
North on I-65 to Exit 228(Calera/University of Montevallo Hwy)
Left on SR 25 for 7.1 miles to junction with SR 155 (traffic light)
Right onto SR 155 for.5 miles where the road changes to CR-10 at Traffic light (downtown Montevallo)
Continue on CR-10 for 11.9 miles to entrance
Turn right onto Living River Parkway
Follow driveway for 2.2 miles
From West (I - 2 0/ 5 9):
From I-20/59 take Exit 97 and proceed southwest for 3 miles
Left on HWY 5 for 7.2 miles DO NOT turn left toward the “Business District,” instead turn left onto HWY 24 for 7.5 miles towards West Blocton
At stop sign veer left onto CR-65 for 6.6 miles (CR-65 changes names to “Marvel Road”) Turn left onto Living River Parkway
Follow driveway for 2.2 miles