BY JO O’GRADY
PALS Volunteer + Guest Blogger
My name is Jo O’Grady. I’m 19 years old, and I recently participated in a PALS Spring 2021 Virtual Program as a volunteer counselor. Being a new member of the PALS family, I was certainly nervous about what to expect. Nevertheless, the combined staff, volunteers, and campers quickly broke the ice, and we settled in for a fun, refreshing week of camp. Each day of camp had a specific activity planned – from jazzercise and reflective drawing to Family Feud and Olympics, every day was just as fun, new, and exciting as the last. Additionally, each day of camp allotted time for participants to spend time getting to know one another within their designated team, with head counselors utilizing breakout rooms for this important feature of camp.
I was paired with Rebecca, who I now consider one of my closest friends. Through our time together at camp as well as extended phone conversations, I have gotten to know Rebecca’s many sides: she is not only a driven, motivated college student studying political science, but she loves to sing, do yoga, and volunteer with animals. The friendship I have built with Rebecca is very meaningful to me and it’s crazy to think that we never would have met without PALS Virtual Programs.
Throughout the pandemic, it has become difficult for people to connect with like-minded individuals. This sense of isolation has been the complaint about virtual adaptations: whether school, work, or extracurricular activities, the chief argument has maintained that the fostered connections in the virtual world are unsustainable, that these connections are not nearly as intimate, personal, and warm.
At PALS, the criteria by which the pandemic has been socially detrimental does not hold. The unleashing of Spring and Summer virtual camps, which PALS staff have been hard at work developing since last March, has proven that the use of our time on Zoom is just as well spent as it was in person. The friendships I made throughout the week of virtual camp were significantly comparable to those I have made in person. I will take these shared moments between me and my fellow participants with me as we eagerly await PALS’ upcoming summer programs.
The pandemic response here at PALS showcases the extreme flexibility, grit, and enthusiasm of every participant among the PALS family. The positive and welcoming attitude is evident from the moment you log onto Zoom until you sign off at the end of each day of camp. The virtual world has created new opportunities to extend the inclusive, embracing nature of PALS to communities far and wide.
