Camp Becomes Sister Act

The Oaks Summer Day Camp was a family affair for the Mittelstaedtsisters of Anaheim Hills. Megan, 16, and Kimberly, 13, each spent more than 200 hours this summer volunteering at the program run by their sister, Nicole, 19.

“The Nature Center is my summer home,” said Megan, who has volunteered there since she was 11. This was Kimberly’s second year as a volunteer and Nicole, a UC Irvine student now studying abroad in England, put in four years as a volunteer.

Megan and Kimberly were recently recognized as outstanding volunteers through Anaheim’s VolunTEEN program.

“Both Megan and Kimberly had great attitudes, they would always go the extra mile,” said Stacy Bates, recreation specialist with the city of Anaheim.

The girls attended the day camp then moved up the ranks. The 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. camps offer art, games, Native American traditions, hiking and themed programs for children 2 through 11. All events are held outdoors in the 58-acre Nature Center, which has four miles of hiking trails, a bird observation area, a stream and a museum.

“We did it just for fun,” Megan said of her days as a camper.

Her favorite camp activity?

Camp songs.

“We sing a lot of camp songs that are really fun. One mom told us her kids loved it so much they were going to sing one in a school talent show,” she said.