New partnership brings life-changing summer camp experience to children

Freedom House supporter’s vision shares the joy of summer

A powerful new partnership between Freedom House Ministries and Camp Luther is bringing the transformative experience of faith-based summer camp to children who might otherwise never have the opportunity. The collaboration was born from the heart and vision of Dan Natzke, who serves as both a Camp Luther board member and supporter of Freedom House Ministries.

“I kept seeing these amazing kids at Freedom House who were living without a home,” said Natzke. “At the same time, I knew the incredible impact that Camp Luther has on young lives. It seemed so obvious—we had to find a way to bring these two worlds together. Every kid deserves to experience the pure joy and wonder of summer camp.”

Camp Luther, a faith-based summer camp, has been creating life-changing experiences for children for decades. The camp offers a wide range of activities including archery, swimming, arts and crafts, and outdoor adventures, all within a supportive Christian environment where children learn about God’s love while building lasting friendships and memories.

“Camp Luther has always been about more than just fun activities,” explained Luke Kunze, Executive Director at Camp Luther. “We create an environment where children discover their worth in Christ and build confidence. When Dan approached us about partnering with Freedom House, we immediately saw the incredible potential to extend our mission to more children.”

Freedom House Ministries works tirelessly to support children and families navigating the challenging circumstance of homelessness by providing shelter, resources and support. More importantly, opportunities are provided so children can simply be kids despite the difficult situation they didn’t choose.

“These children are dealing with adult problems in a child’s world,” said Steve Schauer, Director of Development at Freedom House. “Our partnership with Camp Luther gives children the chance to laugh, play, make friends, and create joyful memories. After the nearly a dozen kids come back from camp, they talked about archery, jumping off the slide into the lake and sharing stories about Jesus for weeks afterward. That’s childhood magic right there.”

The partnership’s impact became immediately evident during the first Camp Luther experience. One young boy asked in the van coming back to Freedom House, “Are we going back next week?” When asked what they learned about Jesus, one young girl responded, “We are His handiwork and He sacrificed for us.” These responses perfectly capture the spiritual impact alongside the pure fun.

The collaboration represents more than just sending kids to camp—it’s about organizations recognizing that they can accomplish more together than apart. Camp Luther provides the expertise, facilities, and programming, while Freedom House identifies children who would benefit most and helps facilitate their attendance.

“This partnership shows what’s possible when people who care about kids decide to work together,” Natzke added. “We’re not just giving these children a week at camp—we’re giving them hope and joy. That’s something that will stay with them long after the summer ends.”

Camp Luther and Freedom House plan to continue and expand this partnership, with hopes of sending even more children to experience the life-changing impact in future summers.