GROUNDBREAKING SET FOR NEW MEDICAL FACILITY AT CAMP BARNABAS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GROUNDBREAKING SET FOR NEW MEDICAL FACILITY AT CAMP BARNABAS

PURDY, Missouri (September 23, 2010) - A groundbreaking ceremony for Lauren’s WellHouse, a new health care facility at Camp Barnabas, is set for Friday, October 1 at 11:00 am. The 7,000 square foot complex is scheduled to be completed in May, 2011.

In considering the $1.2 million structure, the camp board of directors believed it should do more than meet the needs of the growing camp population. So they have partnered with ACCESS Family Care of Neosho, Missouri, an organization dedicated to providing quality health care to underserved, underinsured and uninsured people.

“This is an excellent example of a win-win situation,” says Barnabas co-founder and health services director Cyndy Teas. “We are now serving over 1,300 campers each summer and have outgrown our current medical center. But to be good stewards in building something that meets our needs, we believed it important to use the center year-round. At the same time, ACCESS was looking to expand their health care services in our area. And their mission of reaching the medically underserved aligns well with our work with people with special needs and chronic diseases.”

ACCESS Executive Director and CEO Don McBride agrees. “I’ve know the Teas for many years and have worked with them in another program. When they contacted us, knowing their heart and mission and how well it fits in with our heart and mission made for a good fit. We are focused on providing primary health care to the underserved, underinsured and uninsured people of our community. Operating a clinic from this facility expands our ability to give these people access to quality health care.”

The WellHouse is named for Lauren Hauschild, the camper who inspired the Teas to start the Christian-based summer camp program in 1994. Following her experience with cancer, Hauschild expressed her desire to “just be a normal kid at camp” to Cyndy Teas, then Director of Health Services at Kanakuk Kamps in Branson, Missouri. Teas discussed this with her husband, Paul, and the idea was born to offer a summer camp program that focused on the abilities instead of the disabilities of people with special needs and chronic diseases.

A dramatic increase in the camper population following national media exposure during an episode of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition led to the need for the expanded medical facility at the camp. “We just outgrew ourselves,” says Paul Teas, co-founder and executive director. “It’s a great problem to have. As more people learned about our program and with the new cabins we were able to build following the Makeover, we simply outgrew our current medical facility.”

“Each week of camp,” Cyndy Teas adds, “our volunteer medical team of two doctors and eight nurses, serves all the medical needs of our camper population. From a touch of poison ivy to cathing to tube feeding to monitoring vents, we are needing more space to serve these very special people.”

Camp Barnabas is located near Purdy, Missouri and draws campers and volunteers from over 30 states. Assisting in serving the campers each summer are over 2,400 volunteers, 110 summer staff and 12 year-round staff.

In addition, the Barnabas² (B^2) program takes the Barnabas-style camp week to existing camp facilities across the country. Current B^2 programs are located near Seattle, Washington and San Antonio, Texas with additional camps coming on board for summer 2011.

Contractor for the project is Morelock-Ross Builders, Inc. of Springfield. The Springfield architectural firm, Butler, Rosenbury & Partners, Inc. prepared the design.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR MEDIA OUTLETS:

CAMP BARNABAS:

Camp Barnabas provides life-changing opportunities for people with special needs and chronic diseases in a Christian camp setting. All typical summer camp activities are adapted so that all children may participate.

For more information on the construction project, contact Paul Teas at 417-886-9800 or emaiL paul@campbarnabas.org. For more information on Camp Barnabas, contact Donna Robertson, Storyteller, at 870-362-1324 or email donna@campbarnabas.org. Web site for the organization is www.campbarnabas.org. For more information on the B^2 program, contact Robbie Repola,  National Director, at 417-476-2565 or email robbie@campbarnabas.org. The web site for B^2 is www.barnabas2.com .

ACCESS FAMILY CARE:

ACCESS Family Care is committed to improving the health of the medically underserved of greater southwest Missouri through direct services and collaborative efforts. They are classified as a FQHC, which is a community-based organization that provides comprehensive primary care and preventive care, including health, oral and mental health/substance abuse services to persons of all ages, regardless of their ability to pay. For more information on ACCESS Family Care, contact Don McBride, Executive Director/CEO at 417-451-9450 or email DMcBride@accessfamilycare.org. The web site for ACCESS is www.accessfamilycare.org .

CONTRACTOR:

Morelock-Ross Builders, Inc. of Springfield, Missouri, specializes in commercial, warehouse, retail, institutional, residential and specialty building. For more information contact Kirk Olmstead, Morelock-Ross Builders, Inc. at 417-864-6661 or email him at kelmquist@morelockross.com  The web site for Morelock-Ross is www.builders.morelock-ross.com .

ARCHITECTS:

The design for the building was prepared by the Springfield, Missouri architectural firm of Butler, Rosenbury & Partners, Inc. They focus on architecture, structural engineering, interior design and landscaping architecture. For more information, contact Mike Harned at 417-865-6100 or email ________________. The web site for Butler, Rosenbury & Partners, Inc. is  www.brpae.com .