A Place of Belonging

June 2, 2025

Written By Adam Buckallew

Nestled on a scenic peninsula surrounded by Council Grove Lake in the heart of Kansas prairie country, White Memorial Camp offers something far deeper than a place to pitch a tent or paddle a canoe. It offers a place of belonging, growth and connection.

“This land has always been a place of gathering,” says Danielle Waller, the camp’s director.

Long before it became a summer camp, the site was a home for Indigenous people, including the Kanza (Kaw) tribe. Burial mounds found on the grounds serve as reminders of the land’s deep spiritual roots.

In 1962, the CH White and WW White families donated the first 114 acres to the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference of the United Church of Christ. By 1967, White Memorial Camp was among the first interfaith, church-planned camps in the nation to offer summer programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Today, the camp spans 168 acres, a portion of which is preserved tallgrass prairie, one of the most endangered ecosystems in North America. Here, waves of big bluestem and switchgrass ripple in the wind, the song of meadowlarks drifts through the air and limestone outcroppings rise from the hills like weathered bones. Native stone buildings dot the landscape, trails wind through the prairie and the peninsula waterfront offers a serene setting for reflection.

White Memorial Camp serves more than 500 youth each summer and an additional 70 to 80 adults with IDD. Throughout the year, another 1,000 people visit for retreats, family reunions, church events, school field days, mental health workshops and cultural gatherings. “We tailor our programs for every group,” Waller says, “but our focus always comes back to faith, community, nature, leadership, inclusion and personal growth.”

What sets White Memorial Camp apart isn’t just its stunning natural backdrop; it’s the mission behind everything it does.

“Many of our campers come from underprivileged backgrounds. For some, it’s their first time seeing nature or having a meal they didn’t have to worry about,” Waller says. “We want them to try new things, grow stronger in their values and faith, build confidence and friendships, and feel like they belong.”

Waller’s journey to camp leadership began through her husband, who provided IT services on-site. Her connection deepened as she began offering staff training based on her 19 years of experience in disability care. That led to volunteering at adult IDD camps, serving on the board and ultimately accepting the director role in 2022 after much reflection and prayer. “I believed in the mission, I lived the mission, and then I became the mission,” she says.

One of Waller’s favorite memories at camp is a personal one: Her 2016 wedding took place at White Memorial. But she says nothing compares to evenings spent at Vespers Point, where campers gather at sunset each night for worship. “It’s always my favorite moment—watching people grow in their relationship with God in the middle of nature, surrounded by the water. It’s special.”

Though it was once owned and operated by the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference of the United Church of Christ, White Memorial Camp became an independent religious nonprofit in 2014. Now governed by its own board of directors as a 501(c)(3) organization, the camp continues to carry on its legacy of building skills, friendships, faith and character in its campers.

Running such an impactful program comes with challenges, particularly financial ones. That’s why community support is vital. Recent contributions from the MFA Oil Foundation helped the camp purchase a new Speed Queen washer and dryer to meet the needs of its many guests.

“Without donations, a place like this couldn’t exist,” Waller says. “Our families are often on fixed incomes. Scholarships, facility upkeep, programming—it’s all made possible by people who believe in what we do.”

Success, Waller says, isn’t measured in numbers alone. “It’s in the shy camper who finds their voice. It’s in connections built between two people with different abilities. It’s in the laughter, the teamwork, the sense of belonging,” she says. “Yes, we track surveys and testimonials. But in the end, success is about lives changed, not just beds filled.”

White Memorial Camp continues to fulfill its mission of helping others experience God’s love, enrich their lives, and grow in a safe, inclusive environment—thanks to a community that believes in the power of camp. To learn more about the camp, visit whitememorialcamp.com.