Camp Upgrade Prepares for the Future

Forest Home Christian Camp and Conference Center, a nonprofit organization, celebrated a groundbreaking for nine new guest lodges in Forest Falls on Saturday, Aug. 15. Demolition of 11 aging buildings on the northeast side of camp will begin today to make way for the new buildings. The new lodges collectively are called Cedar Ridge and will be available for family and adult camping guests beginning June 2016. The nine new buildings include 26 guest suites with a total capacity of 130 visitors. Three large new meeting rooms are also included. The total cost of the construction project is $10 million. The project is underwritten completely by Forest Home’s Dream Big Initiative, a multi-year fund raising campaign to repair, restore, and refurbish the grounds to prepare for future years of welcoming guests to the beauty of Mill Creek Canyon. “Over $17.6 million in charitable contributions has been pledged to Forest Home’s Dream Big Initiative so far and by this time next year we anticipate a total of $21.3 million to complete this phase of renovation, which includes the Cedar Ridge lodges,” said Gary Wingerd, president of Forest Home. In the last two years, the Dream Big Initiative has funded a new aquatic center, new recreation and gathering places, painting and refurbishing of cabin interiors and exteriors, new “yurts” for elementary-age campers, and an off-site camping outreach called Neighborhood Day Camp. The renovation of camp preserves the splendor of the canyon, makes the facilities more fire resistant, helps protect Forest Home and its neighbors from severe weather, and respects the community’s mountain aesthetic along Valley of the Falls Drive, according to Erik Lozolla, Sr. Director of Operations. Forest Home is a nationally recognized camp and conference center that has been a continuous presence in the San Bernardino Mountains since 1938. It has influenced hundreds of thousands of children, youth, and young adults over seven decades and currently welcomes more than 55,000 campers each year. Dr. Henrietta Mears founded the camp and conference center in Forest Falls 1938. Since then, thousands of children, youth, and families have come each year for a camping experience. Dr. Mears said that Forest Home “was founded and instituted for one reason alone and that was that men and women, boys and girls should be introduced to the Lord Jesus Christ, and find the place that He wants for them in this world. It hasn’t ever had any other reason for existence.”