We recently connected with Deeann Hodge and have shared our conversation below.

Hi DeeAnn, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

After earning my master’s degree in social work, I began my career at a children’s psychiatric hospital. Many of the children in our care had been removed from their homes due to abuse, and it was heartbreaking to witness such young lives affected by severe trauma. This experience gave me firsthand insight into the struggles these children faced and deepened my commitment to helping them heal. After leaving the hospital, I transitioned to a Therapeutic Foster Care agency, where I served as a Resource Coordinator. In this role, I focused on placing children with emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs into supportive foster homes and building a strong network of resources around them. Many of these children had experienced similar traumas to those I had encountered at the hospital. These early roles not only shaped my professional path but also fueled my passion for working with children and advocating for their well-being, which continues to drive me in my career today.

DeeAnn, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

After completing my graduate degree in social work, I got married and started a family. I have three wonderful children—Will, Caroline, and Griffin—who are now all grown. When my daughter Caroline was just two years old, she was diagnosed with Developmental Apraxia, a motor speech disorder that makes speaking extremely difficult. Watching her struggle to interact with her peers often filled me with sadness. During that time, my faith grew deeper as I turned to God for strength and comfort. I held onto the biblical truth (Psalm 139:13-14) that she was “wonderfully made” by Him, believing that she was created with purpose and that there were no mistakes when she was knit together in my womb. I wanted Caroline to know that the Lord had a great plan for her life.

When Caroline was in middle school, I felt the Lord nudging me to start a camp for girls ages 5 to 12. My vision was to create a space where girls could delight in the truth that they are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” while inspiring them to use their God-given gifts and talents to serve others. We named it Camp Wonderfully Made for Girls, and our days were filled with worship, crafts (which the girls would create and package as gifts for others), swimming, and tennis court playtime. My husband helped Caroline create fliers for our backyard camp, and we sent them to friends and prayed that families would want to send their daughters. To our surprise and joy, we filled up two weeks of camp that first year, hosting 36 girls each week.

After two years of running our backyard camp with neighbors and friends, I felt called to open Camp Wonderfully Made to all girls, not just those living nearby. My past experience working with children from low-income families inspired me to reach out to various non-profit ministries, hoping to extend the camp to girls from underserved communities. After many phone calls, I finally connected with a ministry willing to send their girls to camp. Camp Wonderfully Made then became a charitable, non-profit organization, and it has now been running for 15 years at my home. We host eight weeks of camp each summer, serving over 500 girls.

In addition to our summer camp, our ministry now runs a Christian afterschool enrichment program at a low-income apartment community called Haynes Garden in Nashville, Tennessee. Boys and girls ages 4 to 10 attend the program, coming directly off the school bus to the community room, where they receive a healthy snack, homework help, tutoring, enrichment activities, and, most importantly, learn about Jesus. We recently purchased our very own Camp Wonderfully Made bus, which allows the children at our afterschool site to participate in enriching field trips and summer camp experiences.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

If I could go back and choose my career all over again, I would undoubtedly choose social work. It has been an incredible blessing to build trusting relationships with so many children and families throughout my journey. With over 30 years of experience, I have had the privilege of working with children from all backgrounds, each with their own unique stories. The field of social work certainly has its challenges and can be incredibly difficult at times, but it is equally rewarding. The opportunity to make a positive impact in the lives of others and witness their growth and resilience has been truly fulfilling.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

The most important aspect of being a social worker is having a genuine heart for the people you serve. While my education laid the foundation for my career, what has truly made a difference is building trusting relationships with the children and families I work with. Over the years, I have found that, regardless of background, we are all broken individuals in need of a Savior, and I believe that Savior is Jesus Christ. Sharing the good news of Jesus has the power to break down barriers, bring hope, and transform lives, offering a light that shines through even the darkest situations.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.campwonderfullymade.com
• Instagram: Camp Wonderfully Made
• Facebook: Camp Wonderfully Made