Today we’d like to introduce you to Chrissie “Penny Lane” Endler.
Hi Chrissie “Penny Lane” , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My mother started a non-profit when I was five years old, taking children with heart disease to summer camp on Catalina Island for free. Camp del Corazon.
I grew up in the cabins with these children, not seeing any difference between them and myself.
When I graduated from college, my mother sneakily coaxed me back home to work for the camp as the program director for “just one summer”, ten years later, I was still the program director.
The organization has grown over the years, now serving over 500 families a year through its various programs.
When my mother passed in 2018, I took over as the Executive Director.
I have a passion for youth development, writing, and community building. I was born for this job. It is our family business and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My mother’s death to pancreatic cancer was the biggest blow. She led Camp del Corazon as a cult of personality. She was a mother figure to her patients and even to the staff who volunteer at the camp. Lisa “Xena” Knight was the co-founder of Camp del Corazon, and losing her brought everyone to their knees.
Less than a year later, COVID hit and we had to move all our programming online and pivot to support the new needs of our medically fragile community.
It was some of the hardest work and greatest loss I’ve ever experienced.
I also personally have Lupus, an autoimmune disease that is triggered by stress. Balancing my needs with the increasing needs of my community was a feat.
As you know, we’re big fans of Camp del Corazon. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Camp del Corazon exists to help children with heart disease thrive. We provide year-round events and programs for children, young adults and the families of those living with heart disease.
Our main program is a residential summer camp on Catalina Island in August. We take children who have never been on sleepovers, never seen the ocean and bring them to Catalina to be with other children who have been through what they’ve been through. (Heart surgeries, bullying, etc.)
We are one of the largest summer camps for children with heart disease in the country, and we have been a model organization upon which others have built their own cardiac camps. We’re the template. All started by my mother.
We also provide a leadership and mentorship program for young adults with heart disease called “P.A.C.E.” (Progressive Adult Cardiac Experience) Where we focus on helping young adults be their own health advocates and help foster their adult friendships.
We also offer educational opportunities for parents and families, Our annual symposium in partnership with Edwards Lifesciences brings the top Pediatric Cardiologists to discuss the current issues facing their children with regard to their care — and the kids get to have fun too!
For 30 years, we’ve been building programs to support the pediatric cardiac community, I am proud of us at every level.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Interesting question. I think a lot. Luck, privilege and the guiding idea that:
“When you do the right thing, the right things happen.”
Pricing:
- All our programs are free!!!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.campdelcorazon.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/campdelcorazon/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campdelcorazon1995
- Linkedin: https://linktr.ee/campdelcorazon
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CampDelCorazon
