Meet Day Camp Volunteer, Natasha!
My name is Natasha, though around camp, I go by Veggie. I was born in Puerto Rico, but we moved to Seattle when I was just two years old. Outside of Co-Directing Blythe Day Camp, I work with the Bellevue Fire Department, managing a team of mental health professionals who respond to aid calls. I’m also a mom to two adult sons, 20 and 24, who grew up at Camp Fire and attended Blythe Day Camp as well. In my spare time, I love hiking and hanging out with my four cats.
My journey with Camp Fire started thanks to my lifelong best friend and former Blythe Day Camp Director, River. We’ve been friends since 3rd grade, and when she became the camp director at Blythe, she told me I’d be volunteering whether I liked it or not. Fast forward 20 years, and I’m now co-director with Kiwi, a role I’ve held since 2023 after years of being a camp cook and interim camp manager. Camp Fire and Blythe Day Camp has become my second family. Watching kids grow from kindergarteners to counselors is incredibly fulfilling. Our camp isn’t flashy or high-tech, but it’s a place where kids can unplug, be outside rain or shine, and just be kids.
A typical week at Blythe is packed with activities like archery, canoeing, woodworking, and ice cream making. We run an overnight in the park in the middle of the week for fifth grade and older, and even have Bothell FD come out and spray the kids with a fire hose! We run entirely on volunteer power—teachers, social workers, nurses, all dedicated to making camp happen year after year. Seeing the kids come back, excited for the same familiar faces and activities, is what keeps me coming back too. It’s that sense of community and continuity that makes Camp Fire, and Blythe Day Camp so special.