Meet Kris

When Kris attends Camp Mariposa, there’s a camaraderie there she doesn’t find elsewhere. There’s plenty of traditional camp fun to bring campers together – canoeing on the lake, hiking trails and campfires – but the bonds she forms there are stronger for a much deeper reason. All of her fellow campmates have a loved one facing a substance use disorder.

For Kris, it was her biological mom, who struggled with alcohol. She and her brothers were placed in foster care multiple times. It was through her therapist at Oaklawn that she learned about Camp Mariposa. Camp helped her better understand addiction – how it changes the brain making it harder to quit. The compassion she experienced among other campers and camp mentors gave her a safe space to process the difficult experiences she endured. Today, Kris’ biological mom is doing better and their relationship has improved. And, Kris found her forever family: she’s been adopted.

Kris has attended Camp Mariposa for three years and says her perspective has changed in that time. She recalls an exercise at camp, where each camper writes a letter to addiction.

“I used to say, ‘Dear addiction, I hate you.’ But now, I understand it more. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to find my family,” Kris said. “That negative can turn into a positive. I’m lucky enough to have that.”