It's a great place for hands-on activities. It's a great place to take a dip. It's a great place to get outside and recreate.

New Holland Community Park is a great place to attend summer camp.

"New Holland is an amazing, welcoming community," said Risa Paskoff, who's been the executive director of Aaron's Acres for 28 years. "(Borough officials) allow us to use the pavilion, the pool, the park. It's a wonderful partnership. We have community members coming up to us and saying, 'It's great to see you again.' You're breaking down barriers and you're connecting to make a stronger community."

New Holland Community Park, 400 E. Jackson St., New Holland, will again provide the setting for Aaron's Acres' annual summer camp, the program that resulted in the founding of the organization dedicated to serving individuals with disabilities and their families. This summer will mark the fourth year that the park has hosted Aaron's Acres' summer camp.

The summer camp program consists of three two-week sessions, from Monday, June 15, through Friday, June 26; from Monday, July 6, through Friday, July 17; and from Monday, July 20, through Friday, July 31. The sessions offer full-day and half-day options.

Interested individuals can register at http://www.aaronsacres.org by Tuesday, March 31.

"The atmosphere is so positive," said Paskoff. "We celebrate everything kids do - the kid who goes into the water, the kid who goes on the horse, the kid who does something they never did before. There's this positivity. It's a magical place because the staff is engaged with the kids and the kids are engaged with us."

Among the activities and opportunities that campers and staff members can enjoy are daily swimming, music therapy, arts and crafts, a petting zoo, a magician, a ventriloquist, nature activities and special theme days. The only activity not conducted at the park is the camp's field trip to Greystone Manor Therapeutic Riding Center.

"I think the best part is seeing the staff and camper interactions," said Paskoff. "I love seeing the smiles and joy. So many parents say they don't see those smiles all the time. The last day of camp, the counselors and campers are crying, and it's so powerful."

Aaron's Acres summer camp is designed for individuals between ages 5 and 21 with cognitive, behavior and medical disabilities. The camp mostly serves individuals from across Lancaster County, but also from Dauphin, Berks, Lebanon, Perry and Cumberland counties.

"They're kids who are hoping to have fun and looking to do something over the summer," said Paskoff. "Some may not have been accepted by other programs. You have kids who want to be like everybody else, and at Aaron's Acres, they can be like everybody else."

"They're developing their communication and social skills," Paskoff continued. "During the school year, they're making strides in these areas, and we're helping them to not regress. They're learning transition, and they're having new experiences. There are so many advantages to summer camp."

About 120 individuals are expected to attend the summer camps. Because Aaron's Acres maintains 1-to-1 or 1-to-2 staff member-to-camper ratios, the program is limited in the number of participants it can accept.

Last year, the waiting list for Aaron's Acres summer camps was about 90 kids.

"We don't accept kids until we have the staff," said Paskoff. "There's a tremendous need for this type of program over the summer. The summer camp program has to happen for these families. We need the community to help us make it happen. Parents can breathe when they know their kids are going to Aaron's Acres."

That interaction between counselors and campers can produce experiences that are both more enjoyable and more impactful.

"Because there's that low ratio, kids get personal attention, and the child feels really safe and secure," Paskoff said. "They get individual attention, and the counselors aren't overwhelmed. There's a lot of help, support and guidance. The staff is what makes this program special. If we don't have the staff, we're not doing it the Aaron's Acres way."

Aaron's Acres, which recently moved its headquarters to 121 Walnut Hill Road, Millersville, was formed from a summer camp conducted at the Lancaster Jewish Community Center in 1998. Today, the summer camp is one of nine programs Aaron's Acres offers for individuals with disabilities between ages 5 and 40.