Civitan International and Camp Big Heart
A partnership that has thrived for over 40 years
Camp Big Heart’s story is deeply connected to Civitan.
In 1984, Camp Big Heart began as a special project of the Georgia Civitan District and its clubs, bringing together Civitan members who shared a commitment to improving the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). What began as a regional Civitan service project grew into an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and one of Georgia’s distinctive overnight summer camping programs for children and adults with IDD. Camp Big Heart proudly celebrates its roots with Civitan and the years of growth that clubs have helped foster.
More than four decades later, that partnership continues.
Georgia Civitan Clubs and individual Civitans have remained an important part of the Camp Big Heart family—supporting camp financially, volunteering their time and talents, and helping make unforgettable summer experiences possible for generations of campers.
In 2018, Civitan International recognized that shared legacy of service when Camp Big Heart received 1st Place for Outstanding Service to People with Disabilities.
The Civitan Spirit in Action
The connection between Civitan and Camp Big Heart is about much more than history. It reflects a shared belief that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserve opportunities to participate, belong, grow, make friends and be valued members of their communities.
At Camp Big Heart, that commitment comes to life each summer.
Camp serves children and adults with IDD through an inclusive overnight camping experience designed to build confidence, independence, friendships and new skills. Campers participate in adaptive activities ranging from swimming, archery and nature exploration to music, theater, cooking, arts and crafts, science, dance and the much-loved annual talent show. At the same time, their families and caregivers receive something equally important: a full week of reliable respite. We are one of a handful of camps in Georgia that accepts adults with IDD.
This work is possible in large part because of volunteers. Camp Big Heart has no full-time employees and relies on a remarkable network of volunteers, including its Board of Directors, camp support staff, medical professionals and community supporters. That volunteer-driven model helps keep overhead low so that donated dollars can be directed toward campers and programming.
For Georgia Civitans, Camp Big Heart offers a very tangible expression of Civitan service: people giving their time, resources and hearts to help people with IDD experience greater opportunity and inclusion.
A New Chapter: The Georgia Civitan Foundation Campership Fund
In 2026, the Georgia Civitan Foundation and Camp Big Heart opened an exciting new chapter in this longstanding partnership with the establishment of the Georgia Civitan Foundation Campership Fund. This was made possible due to a generous charitable grant from the foundation.
The fund has a simple but powerful purpose: to help ensure that a camper’s financial circumstances never stand between them and a week at Camp Big Heart.
The need is significant. Camp Big Heart intentionally keeps its family fee below the true cost of providing a week of camp. Even at that subsidized rate, many families need additional help and the demand for assistance is growing.
For families already facing the additional costs associated with caring for someone with a disability, an overnight camp experience can otherwise be financially out of reach. Camp Big Heart is committed to ensuring that inability to pay does not prevent an eligible camper from participating.
The Georgia Civitan Foundation Campership Fund provides a foundation for meeting that need now and into the future. Additional gifts designated for camperships can strengthen and extend the fund, helping more children and adults with IDD experience the friendships, confidence, independence and joy that happen at Camp Big Heart.
And every campership has an impact beyond the camper. When a camper spends a week at Camp Big Heart, a parent, grandparent or other caregiver receives a week of respite—time to rest, work, care for other family members and return to caregiving renewed.
Celebrating Civitan Throughout the Camp Big Heart Community
Camp Big Heart is committed to making sure families, volunteers, donors and community partners understand the important role Civitan has played in our past—and continues to play in our future. Recognition of the Georgia Civitan Foundation and the Civitan partnership will extend throughout Camp Big Heart’s communications and activities for years to come.
What Is Civitan?
Civitan International is a service club organization with a longstanding commitment to serving people with disabilities and strengthening communities through volunteer service.
For someone looking for a meaningful way to make a difference close to home, joining a Civitan Club offers the opportunity to turn a desire to help into action.
Local Civitan Clubs bring people together around service. Members contribute their individual skills, professional experience, community relationships, time and enthusiasm to projects that address real needs—including projects benefiting children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Camp Big Heart is one example of what that kind of service can become.
A project embraced by Georgia Civitans in 1984 has endured for more than four decades, touching the lives of campers, families and volunteers year after year. Today, continued engagement with Georgia Civitan Clubs remains an important part of Camp Big Heart’s plans for sustaining campership assistance and expanding its impact.
Find Your Place in Civitan
You do not have to come to Camp Big Heart to make a difference in the IDD community.
There may be people and organizations in your own community that could benefit from your time, talents and willingness to serve. A local Civitan Club can connect you with others who want to make their communities stronger and more inclusive while building friendships around a shared commitment to service. Find one in your community: https://civitan.org/region-map-club-listing/
Volunteer. Serve. Connect. Make a difference.
Whether you are looking for a new way to give back, opportunities to support people with IDD, or simply a group of community-minded people who believe service matters, we invite you to discover Civitan.
More Than 40 Years of Shared Service
From the Georgia Civitans who helped launch Camp Big Heart in 1984, to the volunteers and supporters who have sustained it through the decades, to the Georgia Civitan Foundation’s commitment to helping campers who need financial assistance, Civitan is woven into the Camp Big Heart story.
It is a story of what happens when people decide that everyone deserves the opportunity to belong.
It is a story of service that lasts.
And it is a story that is still being written.
Thank you to Georgia’s Civitans for helping Camp Big Heart live up to its name—and for continuing to make a big difference in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.