Hidden Hollow Camp Director – Monica Eppler
Friendly House is excited to announce that Ms. Monica Eppler has completed her first year at Hidden Hollow as the Camp Director and it was a great success!
Monica attended Hidden Hollow Camp as a camper, KP, and counselor. She graduated from St. Peter’s High School and worked at the Friendly House in the daycare center and for the recreation programs while attending the OSU Mansfield branch as a freshman. After graduating from Ohio State University with a degree in Family Relations and Human Development, Ms. Monica began her career working with children and families in foster care and family court settings in Florida. She soon discovered her place in education and has spent the past eighteen years teaching middle school Social Studies and most recently elementary special education. She is working on a Master’s Degree in Special Education from OSU.
When not teaching in the Friendly House Preschool, Ms. Monica enjoys working on projects around her house, spending time with family, and boating on Lake Eerie during the summers. Through the transitions of her career working with children and families, Hidden Hollow Camp has always held a special place in Ms. Monica’s heart.
Her children, nieces, and nephew have been campers and counselors at Hidden Hollow, continuing the family tradition and love fostered by her late uncle and former Friendly House Director, Bernie Dillon. With other HHC friends, Ms. Monica has played a role in continuing to give back to Hidden Hollow and Friendly House for the past six years as a member of TPK as a part of its annual Weekend of Giving.
She is excited and honored to call Mansfield home and once again serve the children and families of Richland County.
STAFF (paid, all summer) 2025 Hiring Is Complete
Typical paid positions that we will be hiring for include: Kitchen Staff** (age 15+), Jr. Counselor (age 16-18 and have not graduated high school), Sr. Counselor (age 18+ and have graduated high school).
All positions posted above are “full-time” and paid positions, and all hired staff are required to be at camp for the scheduled times — 6 days of counselor training and the six weeks of camp.
Beginning in mid-December, 2025, we will be hiring for all 2026 camp positions, including Senior and Junior Counselors, and Kitchen Staff. Theses position may complete the ONLINE APPLICATION. Full job descriptions are available at www.friendlyhouseonline.com and click on the ABOUT Tab and then click on STAFF AND EMPLOYMENT.
For those applying as Cooks, and Nurses, please email Ms. Monica.
KP (voluntary, one or more weeks)
KPs are volunteer positions for campers who are at least 15 but can also be 16. There are only 5 KP volunteer positions each week. The KPs spend a week in the kitchen helping to serve meals, clean dishes and utensils, set up for meals, light cleaning around the lodge and camps, trash removal, etc. KP’s can apply to work for all weeks but may only get one depending on the needs of the camp. KP’s that do a great job during their week may be asked back to KP the last week of camp. KP’s also earn 40 hours of community service credit that they can use toward school requirements.
If you have questions or are are interested in working as staff (paid) or as a KP (voluntary), please email Ms. Monica.
Note: Those campers interested in volunteering as a KP this summer must speak with Mr. Monica BEFORE your register online.
ALUMNI
CALLING ALL CAMPERS AND COUNSELORS!!!
We will be having the annual “Weekend of Giving” June 12th – 15th, 2025. This is a paid event that will be focusing on giving back to Friendly House, Hidden Hollow and Happy Hollow Camps. Click HERE for more information on the TPK.
The goals of the Weekend Of Giving are simple: raise funds for Friendly House and HHC, give all those attending the ability to leave part of themselves behind by volunteering their time and their sweat completing planned improvement projects, and to give those that feel the same way that we do about HHC the opportunity to relive a part of our youth – to have a true HHC experience with all the nostalgia that comes with sleeping in the cabins, eating Chicken Deluxe in the dining hall, and sitting around the campfire listening to Horse Thief Jack!