Pecometh Story: I Was Afraid

Anjenee Cannon was a quiet and shy 13-year-old girl from the Eden Park Area of Wilmington, Delaware. Her life revolved around her neighborhood school, church, and the Enrichment program at Neighborhood House, an urban ministry of The United Methodist Church.

Her world expanded when her mother encouraged her to go to Camp Pecometh for a week of summer camp. “I resisted,” she shared. “I didn’t want to go! I had never been away from home! I was afraid.”

After experiencing camp, Anjenee did not want to leave. She found a welcoming and friendly place, a place where she could enjoy fresh air and nature. Camp was a very different place than Eden Park. At Camp she enjoyed the evening singing, and the inspiration of the Galilean Service in the outdoor chapel.

Thanks to THE SPAIN CAMPERSHIP GRANT PROGRAM, Anjenee attended camp four straight years. In her first year, she attended the Riverside program. Her next two years were at Late Night with Jesus. In her fourth year, she was invited to the Director’s Leadership Week. She especially values the encouragement she received from Megan Shitama [Weston]. ”Megan taught me the importance of developing a team and looking out for each other.” Anjenee learned the importance of being a dependable, servant leader.

Today, Anjenee works for Americorps in Delaware, doing literacy intervention in the Reading Assistance Program, where she puts her leadership skills to use every day. She is in her senior year at Wilmington University and expects to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2022.

She has friendships that began at camp and are active to this day. Anjenee is applying to be on summer staff in 2022. She is also interested in the Center for Vital Leadership, to increase the effectiveness of her work. Pecometh is a very important part of Anjenee’s life, and according to her, there is more to come.