Camp shuts down over staffing, food supply woes

Food supply and staffing issues led to the abrupt closure of a summer camp in New Hampshire. It's just one of many camps facing issues for the 2021 season. 

Camp Quinebarge in Moultonborough announced earlier this month that it prematurely closed due to "complications brought on by the pandemic and not due to any long-term issues with camp operations," according to the camp's post on Facebook. 

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The decision wasn't taken lightly, according to the post. 

The camp said Sysco, its longtime food supplier, was part of the problem. Camp officials wrote on Facebook that the camp faced food delivery delays during its first session and was told by Sysco that those delays "would continue indefinitely." 

"By the end of week one, with another delay announced, it was clear this was not a tenable solution for the remainder of the summer," the post continued. 

The camp said it wasn't the only one impacted. 

"Other camps and local restaurants were reporting similar disruptions, with one camp needing to pick up their food in Maine," the Facebook post read. 

However, Sysco told FOX Business in a statement that it is far from the only business across the nation dealing with the "impact of labor shortages and supply chain disruption."

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"While Sysco is no different, our associates are working hard to maintain service levels to the greatest extent possible and we have generally maintained higher levels of service compared to our competition," Sysco said. 

The company says that it is still making deliveries every day "while many other distributors have canceled some delivery days." Still, Sysco said that some of its "customers have been impacted by delayed deliveries," including Camp Quinebarge. 

The other issue, according to the camp's Facebook post, is that an increasing number of counselors left during training and at the start of camp. 

"Finding new staff, especially under Covid restrictions, proved very difficult and time-consuming," the post said. 

However, camps across the state of New York have reportedly closed or scaled back operations due to not being able to hire an adequate number of workers. 

"We have 50-plus girls on the waiting list and the phones are ringing off the hook as other camps are closing or hitting capacity," Brenda Episcopo, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York, told WIVB. 

Some camps were even offering incentives to try and boost their staff. 

Camp Alvernia in Centerport, New York, announced in June that it would significantly increase counselor salaries and offer free lifeguard certifications. 

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"The seasonal staff hiring shortage has hit us just like everyone else," the camp wrote on Facebook. "If you're not able to work this summer, send us recruits!" 

In Minnesota, Deeper Life Bible Camp, also canceled some of its programs "due to a staff shortage and to err on the side of caution."