On the rainy morning of Sunday, April 23, I boarded the Steamship boat and returned to the mainland and my life as I knew it before Camp Safe Haven. I had been gone for only seven days, yet had been so immersed in the experience that I felt a sense of novelty when re-exposed to my own life. My thoughts, emotions and my passion lingered with the volunteers and campers that had shared the experience with me.

I learned of the Safe Haven Project Inc. and Camp Safe Haven Martha’s Vineyard through my master’s in nursing education at Salem State University. Being a Falmouth native and a nurse at the Community Health Center of Cape Cod, I was surprised that it took a professor in Salem to inform me of a program taking place in my own stomping ground. I and another nurse contacted Safe Haven organizers, and signed up for a week of volunteer nursing for a group of children living with HIV/AIDS.

We arrived on the Island on Saturday, April 16 and easily found the big blue tour bus surrounded by Harley riders and smiling children. Greetings resembled those of family members reuniting on holidays, campers recognizing other campers and volunteers from years past. Campers were reserved but polite with me on this first day, identifying me as a new addition to the “family” that has evolved over the 17 years of Camp Safe Haven Martha’s Vineyard.

Over the course of the week, I was fortunate enough to witness and participate in the strengthening of many relationships. There is a seemingly natural connection between campers from diverse geographical and cultural backgrounds. There is evidence of a strong understanding that is unspoken between campers, an ability to relate to one another on a level that I can only attempt to comprehend. On the second day, a new camper sat shyly by himself on a stone wall away from the group. Other campers took notice and arm in arm, approached him, patiently engaged him in conversation and accepted him wholly. A remembrance ceremony was held for a former camper who had died, and for other meaningful people who have been lost. The campers embraced and cried with each other, weeping for those they have lost, and also for themselves. Acts of acceptance such as this were commonplace at Camp Safe Haven, where affection is evident by the constant hugging, hand-holding, and exchanges of I-love-yous.

Upon arrival at the camp, it was apparent to me that many campers were hesitant to trust new volunteers. By the third day, the campers had decided that it was safe to accept me into their family. I was greeted with smiles and hugs, and conversation that I had struggled to pull out of them over the last few days now flowed freely. The nursing station became a place of laughter and play for campers, sometimes with up to 15 people in the small room. We as nurses, while laughing at campers’ jokes, were forced to shoo campers not in need of nursing out of the room during medication time. They laughed and returned within minutes. As I gave two of the female campers medications, they attempted to teach me a dance and we shared a laugh at my poor replication. During downtime, campers frequently pulled up a chair in the nursing station and discussed their home life and aspirations. Many expressed interest in pursuing caring professions such as nursing and veterinary medicine. I was able honestly to support their plans, as they had already shown me that their capacity for caring and acceptance knows no bounds.

Throughout my experience with the Safe Haven Project, I felt a sense of pride in my community for the support that they provided for these children. In the months leading up to camp, I was able to easily obtain donations from local shops and residents, all willing to give to the cause. The MV Harley Riders were a strong presence of contribution to the camp, offering meals, activities, and themselves to the campers. Campers were delighted by bags of freshly baked cookies made by Vineyard residents and dropped off at the camp. Local restaurants and ice cream stores donated meals and treats. The Flying Horses offered free rides and souvenir T-shirts. It was humbling to watch the community of Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard embrace and accept these children.

When I am asked about my week at Camp Safe Haven, it is difficult for me to explain even with stories and photographs. It seems more appropriate to describe the experience with emotions, because that is what has resonated with me. The camp is an opportunity to smile so often that it makes your cheeks hurt. It is recognizing joy on the faces of children that endure the burden of disease with grace and resilience. It is becoming part of a family that over the course of a week develops lasting love for its members. It is returning home and after a week of rest, beginning to count down the days until Camp Safe Haven Martha’s Vineyard 2012.

Jessica Gallagher is a licensed social worker and registered nurse who lives in Mashpee.