There is a camp in Bedford, New Hampshire with a 250-person waiting list. And most people in this state have never heard of it.

In this episode, Carol Erickson sits down with Mel Gosselin, Executive Director of Camp Allen NH, and Emily DiRusso, Camp Director -- to talk about 95 years of changing lives for people with developmental and physical disabilities. Camp Allen is not just for kids. Their oldest camper is in his 60s and has been coming for 50 years. This place is the best-kept secret in New Hampshire, and it is time for that to change.

In this episode:

• How a classical guitar major ended up running the New Hampshire Food Bank for 13 years -- and what brought Mel to Camp Allen

• The history of Camp Allen: founded in 1931 by a director from Perkins School for the Blind

• Carol's personal moment: her son Jesse was greater than legally blind and attended Perkins School

• 250 people on the waiting list -- and how camperships and the Harry Allen Gregg Foundation help families access camp

• The new kitchen, the sensory building, and the hospital-grade equipment arriving from Germany

• What Mel's most unforgettable moment at Camp Allen has been -- and Emily's too

• Ways to volunteer, donate, and help right now

Camp Allen NH

56 Camp Allen Rd, Bedford, NH 03110

campallennh.org

Instagram: @campallennh | Facebook: CampAllenNH

Donate: campallennh.org/donate | Volunteer: campallennh.org/volunteer | Camperships: campallennh.org/camperships

If this episode moved you, please subscribe to Beyond the Plate with Carol on YouTube, follow us on Instagram and Facebook at @beyondtheplatenh, and share this with someone who needs to know Camp Allen exists. New episodes every Tuesday.

ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL

Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond.

Follow Beyond the Plate -- find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH

Follow Carol: Instagram @carolsew24

Timestamps:

0:00 -- Intro -- Carol at Camp Allen

0:31 -- The classical guitar degree question

1:16 -- Mel's story: concrete with dad, Keene State, stage fright

2:49 -- What is Camp Allen? Mel explains for first-timers

3:09 -- "The one word is magical"

4:07 -- The origin story: Perkins School for the Blind, 1931

4:52 -- Best-kept secret: it's not just for kids 😂

5:47 -- Red Arrow meets Camp Allen -- Carol's 24/7 weave-in

5:57 -- Carol's Jesse + Perkins connection

6:09 -- How the mission has evolved over 95 years

8:11 -- Hiring staff from around the world

9:35 -- Camper-to-counselor ratio: 1:1 or 2:1

11:11 -- A week at camp: Sunday to Friday

11:51 -- 250-person waiting list every season

15:17 -- The new kitchen -- Karen from Mexico, T-Bones consulting

16:08 -- Camperships + Harry Allen Gregg Foundation: how campers are funded

19:19 -- Staff 24/7: Carol's Red Arrow comparison

21:16 -- The most underrated donation at Camp Allen

22:49 -- Almost at 100 years -- the archive, the history

24:34 -- Carol gets personal: Jesse, Perkins, and this place

26:13 -- "Mom, go home. I'm at camp."

29:52 -- Moments they will never forget

30:00 -- Mel's moment: a camper sobbing at checkout ♥

33:50 -- "When camp season ended, it was like someone shut the power off"

37:33 -- The sensory building and $50K German equipment

38:07 -- Emily's background: master's in special education

41:22 -- "Salt and pepper -- I'm probably more salty" 😂

41:30 -- LIGHTNING ROUND

42:32 -- What are you ordering at the Red Arrow?

42:44 -- Guitar at the campfire -- "That was a low blow!"

43:49 -- Funniest camper story: Martha the mischief-maker 😂

45:01 -- Something about Camp Allen that would blow people's minds

46:10 -- What Camp Allen needs most right now

46:49 -- Best leadership advice: mindfulness and being present

48:17 -- What's next: adaptive sports, new pool dream

49:26 -- "I'm just here as a conduit for the magic of camp"

49:37 -- Closing + "We knew you'd be jealous"