Teen holding Veterans Day sign with two youth alongside her.

Teens volunteering through our Teen Connects program inspire younger children to watch and learn how to serve their community!

Every November, one of Camp Fire Central Oregon’s No School Day Camps takes on a special energy. Kids are buzzing with excitement as a long-held tradition unfolds: joining the Bend Veterans Day Parade. This year, alongside approximately 30 energetic K–5 campers, a small but mighty team of Teen Connects volunteers stepped in to lend a hand—four teens in all, including one behind the camera. Their presence didn’t just support the day’s logistics, it also elevated the entire experience.

Teen Connects Volunteer Annabella Hardy, who has journeyed through various Camp Fire programs, took photos of No School Day Campers during the Veterans Day parade.

Annabella Hardy, a seventh-year Camp Fire participant and current teen volunteer, arrived ready to document the event and, as she jokingly said, “keep kids moving and out of trouble.”

Between snapping photos, she helped guide kids safely along the route and encouraged them as they delivered thank-you cards that they’d made for veterans attending the parade. As a Camp Fire “veteran” herself, having participated in everything from SummerKids to Tumalo Day Camp, our SKY Leaders summer teen program, and outreach events, Annabella knew firsthand how these small moments can shape a younger camper’s experience, as well as the value of volunteering and service.

“My experience as a teen volunteer has been amazing,” she says. “It has been very beneficial for my personal life and for my life within my community. I have done many things and gone to many places as a volunteer…it helps you bridge the gap between your personal life and your community, and it encourages helping others in your everyday life…I would highly recommend it.”

Camp Fire kids, staff and teens walking in a parade.

Camp Fire No School Day Campers, Teen Connects volunteers, staff and a couple of adult volunteers walk the parade route in downtown Bend.

At the parade, she saw that spirit reflected everywhere: kids eagerly offering cards, staff cheering them on, and teens stepping in naturally as leaders.

Andrew Blaylock, Camp Fire’s teen programs coordinator, witnessed the same spark. Teen Connects and No School Day Camps don’t typically overlap, but for the parade, the partnership felt seamless.

“I got to see the teens being great role models,” he said. “They were amazing at spotting veterans and encouraging the kids to deliver their cards. It never failed to put a smile on a veteran’s face.”

For the teens, the experience was more than supervision—it was a chance to practice leadership, build confidence, and strengthen their connection to people they didn’t previously know. They were part of a community honoring service members, and part of the structure that helped younger youth participate meaningfully.

“It’s powerful for teens to discover they can be part of something bigger than themselves,” Andrew added.

Teen handing U.S. veteran a thank-you card.

Teens role-modeled for No School Day Campers how to identify U.S. Veterans and hand out thank-you cards.

Annabella experienced that connection in a more personal way, too. While walking the parade route with her camera, she unexpectedly ran into Tessa, whom she’d first met at Camp Fire years earlier, when Annabella was a camper and Tessa was a Counselor in Training (CIT) at Tumalo Day Camp. Now they often volunteer at the same Camp Fire camps and teen events and have become good friends.

“This, for me, shows how Camp Fire brings together people from all walks of life to spread kindness,” she said. In a single moment, her past and present as a Camp Fire participant merged.

Looking ahead, Camp Fire Central Oregon has more Teen Connects events and No School Day Camps coming up over the winter break: Camp Fire’s upcoming Season of Service for teens and one of its favorite community-wide traditions, Valentines for Veterans, which is a card-making volunteer event for people of all ages. Just as the kids honored veterans in November, teens, youth, and other community members will soon craft heartfelt Valentines that will be delivered to service members in the VA hospital—another small but meaningful act that reinforces one of the core values: connection to others.

And teens are leaning in. This fall, Teen Connects volunteers, driven by a desire to ensure their community is cared for, have flocked to service events, engaging with Think Wild wildlife rescue, prepping meals at Family Kitchen, sorting food items for NeighborImpact’s mobile pantry, and teaching Smartphone skills at a local senior retirement home. Whether serving food, sorting donations, or handing a veteran a card, Camp Fire teens are learning the same lesson: kindness grows when you give it away. And when they’re helping with No School Day Camps, such as the recent Veterans Day Parade, the younger campers are watching and, of course, they’re learning, too!

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