Hills Resident Creates Hearts, Hands and Voices Camp

He never expected to call Michigan his home, but Farmington Hills resident Michael Burkhardt is changing the lives of many youngsters in metro Detroit, with Hearts, Hands and Voices summer camp in Livonia. 

Invited by a friend – a pastor at his church – to work a week-long seminar, the former Wisconsin resident's initial plan was to stay in the area only 18 months. Three years later, he is still here and just as enthusiastic about providing children a place to musically thrive.

When Burkhardt noticed the dramatic cutbacks in music education in public schools and children’s programs at churches, he decided to provide a camp where children in the second-to-seventh grade from all economic backgrounds can come together and immerse themselves in worship arts and music. 

“If we don’t do something now, it might not exist,” Burkhardt said regarding music programs and interests. Seeing at-risk children and teachers’ interest in his program only increased his enthusiasm.

Held at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Livonia, the camp started only two years ago and initially opened near capacity. Last year when they reached capacity, they decided to offer a second session in Grosse Pointe Farms to accommodate the most at-risk children and offer a manageable distance for them to travel.

Sixty percent of the faculty at the second location will be from the original camp, but Burkhardt insisted that many of the instructors come from the Grosse Pointe Farms area as well. It is all part of his commitment to the community.

Burkhardt believes that all children, from the most affluent households to broken homes to those with special needs and autism, should be a part of the camp. He hopes to offer scholarships, in keeping with the camp's core belief of fostering acceptance, regardless of people's differences.

Overall, the nature of Hearts, Hands and Voices is to bring people together and to have children from different communities learn, grow and become leaders together, Burkhardt said. And it seems to be working – Hearts, Hands and Voices has nearly doubled its enrollment as it enters its third summer.

Camp is held August 8 -11, 2011 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 30650 W. Six Mile Road, Livonia; and August 15-18, 2011 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 375 Lothrop, Grosse Pointe Farms. For more information, visit heartshandsvoicescamp.org