We were thrilled to see many new faces at our "art camp" this summer, and hope to get to know many of you in the years to come. In the meantime, you can find out more about us below:
Creating Friends was started in 2011 by Erik and Kathy
Day, and in the summer is hosted at the property of Dave and Kim Hatcher in
Snohomish, Washington.
Dave (pastor of Trinity Church
in Kirkland) and Kim (a retired physical therapist) have 6 children and 1 grandchild. Their oldest
son, Nathan, was born with a disability and continues to need assistance with the majority of his daily activities. He serves as our official "camp greeter" and his younger siblings are among some of our participants' most favorite volunteers. The Hatchers continually strive to help
Nathan be an active part of his community, and have encouraged and inspired countless friends to
embrace him and the joyous ways he expresses his love for Christ.
Kathy
received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of
Washington in 2005. These days, she enjoys keeping busy as a
stay-at-home mom to her four children, though she treasures the time she had working as a PT in the Bellevue School District and at Seattle
Children’s Hospital. As a college student, Kathy worked as a
caregiver for families of children with special needs (including
Cerebral Palsy and Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy), and as a camp
counselor for Seattle Parks and Recreation.
In 2006, Erik and Kathy (who now attend Emmanuel Church
in Bothell) had the opportunity to volunteer together at Camp Barnabas in Purdy, Missouri. Erik was especially blessed to be able to step away from his
regular job as a software engineer and serve as a role model and friend
to young kids and teenagers - all with varying disabilities. He
realized how spending time with campers and participating in activities
together was enough to overcome barriers despite their physical,
mental, and/or social differences.
Creating Friends was
started out of a desire to help connect kids with and without special
needs. We wanted to provide an opportunity for everyone to interact and
create alongside one another, and in the words of our daughter, "get
used to being friends". We hope that our events will bless and serve whole families, both as a source of rest for parents
who know their children are being cared for, and as a place of fun and
fellowship for participants, no matter what their age or ability.
