HAMILTON, Mich. — Melissa Tubergen merged her love of camping with her love of serving others to create Give Hope RV. The nonprofit offers foster and adoptive families the chance to connect and enjoy Michigan campgrounds.
"When you're camping, your focus is your family. You do things like sit around a campfire and roast marshmallows and tell stories and play cornhole and go swimming," explained Tubergen. "It just helps blend the families and brings families together in just a really unique way that provides activity and interest in connection in lots of different beautiful ways."
Give Hope RV was inspired by Tubergen's adoption journey.
The mother of four biological children had the desire to expand her family through adoption in 2016. Tubergen and her husband adopted their son Beau from China. The next year, they returned to the country, adopting a little girl with Down Syndrome named Gertrude.
"One thing they recommend for international adoptive families is to cocoon, which means don't leave the house and stay at home... We felt like that was a terrible idea," Tubergen told FOX 17. "And so we did a ton of camping."
During its first season in 2018, Give Hope RV helped 16 families— this year, more than 200 families will benefit.
The organization has four RVs stationed at various campsites, along with several affiliate campgrounds that have donated stay time, including:
- Kibby Creek Campground
- TriPonds Family Camp Resort
- Dunes Harbor
- Camp Michawana
- Dumont Lake Campground
- Baldwin Oaks Campground
- Cranhill
- Lake Michigan Camp and Retreat
"All of our families that come, just have to bring with them food, clothes, toiletries, and towels. And that's it, everything else is provided for them. And so the space is all set up for them," said Tubergen. "They deserve it. The kids deserve it. They deserve to have a great time. And our families deserve the opportunity to get away. So that's why I do this. It's my favorite work."
Tubergen said 700 applications for RV stays came in this year, from 24 states and Canada. All slots are filled through a lottery system.
All 2023 spots have been filled and winners started getting notified this month.
Tubergen said families are welcome to sign up for the cancellation list.
She hopes to eventually expand Give Hope RV to campgrounds around the country.
"It's so encouraging from somebody who's experienced it and somebody who's done it. It's exactly what families need," she said. "I love this demographic of people because it's so often overlooked. The kids that we serve are overlooked and labeled. And I hate that our families often come with little to no support. And I just want to pour into them and say that what they're doing matters so much."
As the FOX 17 and Lake Michigan Credit Union Pay it Forward Person of the Month, Tubergen receives a $550 prize.
To learn more about Give Hope RV, visit the website or Facebook page.
Know someone who should be featured next month? Nominate them here.
Meet Aarie Wade, our February 2023 Pay it Forward Person of the Month.