Greensboro youth camp is helping kids overcome trauma; GPD’s Sgt. Dale Nix was one of its strongest supporters

By: Kelly Kendall, WXII The Guilford County Family Justice Center is hosting Camp Hope America for the eighth year, but this year, it is doing…
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By: Kelly Kendall, WXII

The Guilford County Family Justice Center is hosting Camp Hope America for the eighth year, but this year, it is doing so without one of the camp’s strongest supporters.

The nearly weeklong overnight camp gives kids impacted by violence and abuse the opportunity to learn wellness habits, build connections and participate in high-adventure activities.

The camping experience is paired with a year-round mentoring program designed to break the generational outcomes of domestic abuse.

Greensboro police Sgt. Dale Nix was shot and killed late last year after stopping a group that was attempting to steal from a convenience store in Colfax. Before his death, he was a proud supporter of Camp Hope.

Camp Hope is a national program locally sponsored by the Guilford County Family Justice Center. Nix oversaw GPD’s Family Victims Unit, which investigates abuse cases for the center.

The center’s director, Catherine Johnson, says Nix worked to get kids in need to the camp.

“He worked throughout the year to recruit and make sure that any child who wanted to camp — they had what they needed to get there. If you needed a ride, he would pick you up. If they needed a meal, he would fix the plate,” Johnson said. “So, he was just one of those go-to partners, and we have several who are like that, who really saw this as a part of their mission in working to create a safer community.”

Johnson says the camp does not feel the same without him but says she wants to do right by him by continuing to do this work with kids.

The center says the overnight experience is free of charge for campers thanks to funding from corporate and community partners. Johnson says many donations were made in Nix’s memory.

Johnson says 80 campers ages 7-15 are participating in the camp this summer.

“We learn about people who’ve had hard things happen to them and find resiliency and grit and zest and move forward in life,” Johnson said. “So a lot of our activities are also focused on goal-setting, setting a goal for yourself and seeing yourself obtaining that goal.”

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