Bedford, NH's best-kept secret for people with disabilities has a 250-person waiting list -- and Executive Director Mel Gosselin is here to change that.

Mel Gosselin, Executive Director of Camp Allen NH in Bedford, New Hampshire, studied classical guitar at Keene State College. Yes, you read that right. And yes, she has heard every reaction you are having right now.

After college, Mel moved through retail and the technology sector -- including a stint at Teradyne -- before landing at the New Hampshire Food Bank in 2003. For thirteen years, she served as Executive Director, transforming the organization into the largest nonprofit food distribution center in the state of New Hampshire. Under her leadership, food distribution grew from roughly one million pounds annually to over twelve million pounds, serving more than 400 food agencies across New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Food Bank also became the first food bank in the Northeast -- and only the second in the country -- to launch its own food processing plant. In 2014 and 2015, Feeding America named her National Chairwoman of Hunger Action Month. In 2010, New Hampshire Business Review recognized her as an Outstanding Woman in Business.

Then she moved to Florida for several years and ran her own business. And something kept pulling her back.

When Camp Allen NH came calling, Mel Gosselin said yes. She has been Executive Director for less than a year. And when I asked her what this place has done to her in that time, she said:

Camp Allen NH is a nonprofit summer camp in Bedford, New Hampshire, dedicated to serving individuals with developmental and physical disabilities. It has been in continuous operation since 1931 -- ninety-five years. And every single season, it has a waiting list of 250 people.

The camp was founded by a director from Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, who recognized that students at Perkins had no summer programming available to them. What started as a retreat for young blind girls in 1931 grew through the decades to welcome campers of all genders, all ages, and all types of developmental and physical disabilities. Today, Camp Allen serves campers from age six all the way through their sixties -- including one camper who has been returning every single summer for fifty years.

Camp Allen NH is not just for children. That is the best-kept secret in the state of New Hampshire -- and it needs to change.

Camp Director Emily DiRusso, who holds a master's degree in special education and spent five summers as a Camp Allen counselor before returning as director, runs the day-to-day experience alongside Mel. Together, they oversee a team of 70 or more staff members each summer, drawn from around the world, with a camper-to-counselor ratio of 2:1 or 1:1 depending on individual need.

Camp Allen NH offers several programs for people with disabilities in New Hampshire and beyond:

•        Residential Camp (overnight sessions, ages six and up)

•        Day Camp (day sessions with full outdoor programming)

•        Life Camp (a seven-day program for young adults with disabilities seeking greater independence)

•        CamPower (hands-on job training and vocational skills for individuals with disabilities)

When I asked Emily to describe what Camp Allen stands on, her answer was immediate:

 And when I asked Mel for one word to describe this place, she did not think twice:

I want to take a moment to get personal. Because this one surprised me. 

I have a son. His name was Jesse. Jesse was greater than legally blind, and he attended Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, during the 2005-2006 school year. His family has described that year as one of the happiest of his life -- a time of discovering independence, forming real friendships, and living fully. Jesse passed away in June 2006.

Every year since 2010, the Jesse Isabelle Spirit Award has been presented at Perkins School for the Blind -- given to a student who embodies the vibrant spirit and kindness that Jesse brought to everyone around him. He loved the Red Sox, he loved people, and he touched more lives than most people do in a lifetime. You can learn more about Jesse and the award at jesseisabelle.com.

I did not know, when I pulled up to Camp Allen in Bedford, that this place was literally born from Perkins School for the Blind. The same institution that Jesse loved. The same place that gave him one of the best years of his life.

Walking the campus of Camp Allen NH, I kept thinking about what this place would have meant to Jesse. The experience. The friendships. The chance to just be a kid in a space that gets it completely -- where nobody stares, nobody judges, and the answer is always yes. I said it on camera and I meant every word of it.

Camp Allen NH is not just a disability camp in New Hampshire. It is a place where the answer is always yes.

The brand-new kitchen at Camp Allen is officially open. Led by kitchen manager Karen, the space was redesigned with input from T-Bones restaurant in New Hampshire to optimize the flow and function of a high-volume operation. Fresh, made-from-scratch meals are served daily. Dietary restrictions and food allergies are accommodated without question.

A new sensory building is on the way, featuring hospital-grade adaptive equipment sourced from Germany -- a $50,000 investment in the experience of every camper who walks through the door. Camp Allen has also launched a partnership with Northeast Passage at the University of New Hampshire to bring adaptive sports programming -- including archery and cycling -- to campers this summer.

On the wish list: a fully accessible pool that campers can roll directly into, heated, built specifically for their population.

Financial assistance for campers is available through two programs: the Ami Goodwin Campership Program, open to any camper regardless of where they are from, and the Harry Allen Gregg Foundation, available to New Hampshire residents. Families can apply directly through campallennh.org/camperships.

When I asked Mel what she wants people to understand about what Camp Allen really does, she said:

Camp Allen NH in Bedford is powered by donations, grants, and community support. A 250-person waiting list means 250 people who want to be here and cannot get in yet. Every donation, every volunteer hour, and every share of this episode helps close that gap.

•        Donate: campallennh.org/donate

•        Camperships (financial aid for campers): campallennh.org/camperships

•        Volunteer: campallennh.org/volunteer

•        Learn more: campallennh.org

•        Instagram: @campallennh  |  Facebook: CampAllenNH

If this episode made you feel something -- share it. Send it to a family who might need to know Camp Allen NH exists. Forward it to someone looking for a way to give back in New Hampshire. This is a ninety-five-year-old institution in Bedford, New Hampshire that changes lives every single summer, and most people in this state have never heard of it.

Go listen, go share, and go find Camp Allen.

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