Sibling Camp

This camp specifically welcomes siblings of kids who have been diagnosed with cancer at any time. Participants should be ages 9-17 on the first day of camp, potty-trained, and have permission from their doctor to attend school or camp.

Their brother or sister who was diagnosed with cancer does not need to be a current Camp Casco camper, and does not need to be receiving active treatment. Some of our participating siblings are bereaved.

Siblings of childhood cancer often face their own emotional impact of cancer. This camp is specially designed to help every sibling feel tons of personal attention and help them heal.

Yes, Camp Casco provides breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for campers and volunteers throughout the week.

Meals are served every day in the Dining Hall. Food is served buffet-style, making it easy to adapt to different dietary needs. Specific dietary preferences (like vegetarian, vegan, or kosher diets) and food allergies can also be accommodated. Please be sure to note any dietary preferences and food allergies on your staff application so that we may notify the camp kitchen promptly.

We follow the guidance of the CDC, our local Boards of Health, and of course, our medical experts, when making decisions about health and safety. Please visit our COVID-19 page for the most up-to-date guidance on our policies and procedures.

During inclement weather, such as very warm or rainy days, we’ll move inside. On warmer days, we may provide cooling items such as a personal fan, and increase the number of water activities, to help keep kids comfortable. Be aware that in the case of lightning, swimming and boating will not permitted until deemed safe by our lifeguards.

Berkshire Lake Camp is a newly-built facility nestled along the shores of Lake Ashmere, surrounded by the beautiful landscape of the Berkshire Mountains.

Our cabins feature electricity and bunk beds, with accessible indoor bathrooms. Equipped with a large sports field, a volleyball court, basketball court, waterfront with swimming beach and boating, brand-new cabins and both indoor and outdoor dining, this campsite is the perfect setting to help our siblings unplug and unwind.

Every camper and volunteer stays in a modern cabin at the beautiful Berkshire Lake Camp.

All participants are assigned to sleeping quarters in small groups by gender preference. Whenever possible, there will be at least one other volunteer in your room. We use a Truddy System to ensure no volunteer is ever left alone with a camper, unless medically necessary.

Our cabins feature electricity, indoor bathrooms, hot water, and single or bunk beds. You may bring bedding from home or use a sleeping bag on your bed - whichever you prefer. If you require special accommodations overnight, please contact us to discuss.

At this time, any camp counselor ages 18 and up will be considered a full counselor. There is currently no Junior Counselor or Counselor-In-Training program at Sibling Camp.

We are looking for volunteers who are responsible and dependable, work well as a team, and communicate effectively.

Our ideal counselor is highly motivated to help us create the best week ever, and willing to get silly, participate fully, and actively connect with each camper.

You do not need to be a specific age, or specific personality type, to be a great camp counselor. We find that different kids connect with a variety of personality types, and we strive to create a diverse volunteer team to support our diverse group of campers.

During the online volunteer interview, you will meet with a few members of our camp leadership team. We will ask questions to get to know you better, and assess your experience and readiness for the camp setting. We may ask questions like:

• Tell us about a time you had to quickly come up with a back-up plan.

• Have you ever had a conflict with a co-worker or teammate? How did you work through it?

• What would you do if you had a camper who was withdrawn or isolated from the group?

Types of camp counselors:

• Cabin counselor

  • Assigned to a specific cabin (or group) that they will be with for the duration of the week. They will supervise their campers, and make sure they get to all of the scheduled activities on time. The Cabin Counselors report directly to the Head Counselor(s).

• Activities counselor

  • In charge of running all Camp Casco activities throughout the week. While not assigned to a specific cabin, Activities Counselors will interact with campers through different activities and will fill in for cabin counselors when needed. Activities Counselors report directly to the Activities Manager.

• Counselor-In-Training

  • May share responsibilities as either a cabin or activities counselor, but will not be left alone in charge of a group of campers.

Medical volunteers:

• Volunteers who are medical professionals may volunteer for our Med Shed. These volunteers are responsible for providing medical care for campers throughout the week under the supervision of the Medical Director.

• Med Shed volunteers should be doctors, nurses, physicians assistants, paramedics or EMTs who are currently licensed in Massachusetts. Medical volunteers can choose to volunteer for a single day or multiple days during the camp session— you do not have to commit to the full session.

Leadership team:

Each camp is organized and run by a team of volunteers who work throughout the year to make each camp our best week ever. Our leadership team is selected and supported by our staff Program Director, Krystin “Lo” Whitacre.

At Sibling Camp, our leadership team is made up of:

• Camp Director:

  • Responsible for the internal aspects of Camp Casco, focusing on the needs and well-being of campers, volunteers, and medical personnel.

• Head Counselor(s):

  • Responsible for cabin counselors, ensuring they have everything necessary to provide their campers with the best week possible. Any issues with campers or fellow counselors will be first brought to the attention of the Head Counselor.

• Activities Manager:

  • Responsible for the planning and execution of all Camp Casco activities and is directly responsible for the Activities Counselors.

• Medical Director:

  • Responsible for the administrative aspects of the Med Shed and oversees the medical volunteers.