Going for the Gold: Swim Camp Begins Monday!

For nearly two decades, volunteers have returned each summer to the Delta, where a 90-year-old community swimming pool has become a place of hope, belonging, and transformation. In a community where opportunities can be limited, the pool offers children the chance to gain a life-saving skill, build confidence, develop leadership, and experience the unconditional love of God through caring volunteers.

The first week of the annual Swim Camp, in partnership with Together for Hope, at the North Helena Municipal Pool begins Monday, July 13, 2026. The number of camper registrations are in and 100 campers are expected to attend for week one and week two. This year is particularly special because it marks the highest number of local volunteers working in the pool and sharing the gift of learning to swim with their community. All the local volunteers have grown up coming to swim camp every summer. This summer, I will have the opportunity to serve as Pool Director for the second week of Swim Camp.

The program primarily focuses on children 12 and under, typically running in multiple-week sessions featuring lessons in the morning and afternoons. Teen or adult instruction will continue in the evenings, followed by water aerobics.

This year's Olympic theme will encourage campers to discover that true champions are known not only for their accomplishments, but for their perseverance, courage, teamwork, and compassion. For many, Swim Camp may sound like a week of swimming lessons, relay races, and water games. While there will certainly be plenty of fun, Swim Camp has always been about much more than learning to swim.

This ministry also reminds us of an important chapter in our nation's history. In her recent book, The Pool Is Closed: Segregation, Summertime, and the Search for a Place to Swim, Hannah S. Palmer explores how public swimming pools became symbols of racial division during the era of segregation. Many communities chose to close their pools rather than integrate them, leaving generations of children—especially children of color—without safe places to learn this life-saving skill. Palmer's work reminds us that swimming is not simply recreation; it is about safety, dignity, community, and access.

That history makes this ministry even more meaningful. Each child who learns to swim, each friendship that is formed, and each moment of encouragement shared in and around the pool is a reminder that God's love has the power to overcome barriers and create beloved community.

Thank you for supporting this ministry through your prayers, encouragement, and generosity.

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