Featured Member Spotlight: YMCA Storer Camps
For more than a century, YMCA Storer Camps has been helping generations of children, families, schools, and groups connect, learn, grow, and experience the outdoors right here in the Irish Hills.
Located on approximately 1,300 acres surrounding beautiful Stony Lake, YMCA Storer Camps has been part of the region since 1918. Originally founded as the summer camp facility of the YMCA of Greater Toledo, the camp has grown tremendously over the years while continuing to serve communities throughout Northwest Ohio, Southeast Michigan, and beyond.
In fact, YMCA Storer Camps welcomes individuals and groups from across the United States to experience the natural beauty, programming, and sense of community found here in the Irish Hills.
More Than a Century of Camp, Community & Connection
Much of the growth of YMCA Storer Camps can be traced back to longtime director Robert Dale “Doc” Miller, who helped shape the future of the camp during more than two decades of leadership. The original eight acres of Storer Camps are located on what is now known as the South Center, where a chapel stands in Doc Miller’s memory.
Over time, the camp expanded to include much of the waterfront surrounding the 240-acre Stony Lake. In the late 1960s, Storer Camps also began offering Outdoor Education programming, becoming one of the early programs of its kind in the United States.
Today, the camp operates on both the North and South Centers of Stony Lake. The North Center is home to the Outdoor School, as well as Youth and Teen Camp programs. The South Center operates primarily from May through September and serves as the home of Specialty and Day Camps.
While summer camp remains an important part of Storer Camps, the property also provides space for retreats, family reunions, group events, educational programming, and other opportunities that bring people together.
A Mission Centered on People and Community
YMCA Storer Camps is part of the YMCA of Greater Toledo, an organization centered on nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living, and fostering social responsibility.
Its mission is simple but meaningful: to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.
At the Y, strengthening community is at the center of that mission. Their work focuses on making sure people of all ages and backgrounds have opportunities to learn, grow, thrive, and feel a sense of belonging.
That work is guided by five core values: caring, honesty, respect, responsibility, and faith.
The YMCA also focuses its efforts in three key areas: youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Whether nurturing the potential of children and teens, encouraging healthy lifestyles, or giving back to the community, these priorities shape the experiences and programs offered throughout the organization.
Child safety is also a foundational priority. As part of the nation’s largest youth-serving organization, the YMCA is committed to creating safe, supportive environments for the thousands of children and teens it serves each year.
This fall, YMCA Storer Camps will continue offering opportunities for the community to experience camp in new ways, including Women’s Wellness Weekend from September 18 through September 20 and upcoming Parents’ Night Out events in September, October, and November.
Whether someone is spending a week at summer camp, attending Outdoor School, enjoying a retreat, participating in a special event, or traveling from across the country to experience Storer Camps for the first time, the impact extends far beyond the shoreline of Stony Lake.
The Irish Hills Regional Chamber of Commerce is proud to recognize YMCA Storer Camps as a proud member and to celebrate the role they continue to play in bringing people together, supporting youth and families, and introducing visitors from near and far to the Irish Hills.
YMCA Storer Camps
6941 Stoney Lake Rd.
Jackson, MI 49201
(517) 536-8607
www.ymcastorercamps.org