CONTACT INFORMATION
Hidden Hollow Resident Camp is owned and operated by The Friendly House Association of Mansfield. Friendly House is a local nonprofit organization. Our mission is directing programs toward the strengthening of family life and character building by providing recreational, educational, health and fitness, crime prevention, preschool and camping programs to our immediate neighborhood and our community as a whole, at a cost that everyone can afford. We are located at 380 North Mulberry Street, Mansfield, OH 44902. Our office is open Monday – Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Our office phone number is (419) 522-0521. You can email specific questions about Hidden Hollow to hhc@friendlyhouseonline.com.
Hidden Hollow Camp is located in Bellville, Ohio at 5127 Possum Run Road. The camp office is only open during the camp season. All inquiries should be directed to the Friendly House phone number or email listed above. During the camp season, you can call (419) 892-2007 or email hhc@friendlyhouseonline.com.
Make sure to follow us on Facebook for updates and information – Friendly House / Hidden Hollow Camp.
CAMPERSHIP (Friendly House Financial Aid) INFORMATION – RICHLAND COUNTY RESIDENTS ONLY
Since the inception of The Peoples Mission in 1894 and when our organization became the Friendly House Association in 1912, we have been striving to help Richland County residents. Our mission is to direct our programs toward the strengthening of family life and character building by providing recreational, educational, health and fitness, crime prevention, preschool and camping programs to our immediate neighborhood and our community as a whole, at a cost that everyone can afford.
Friendly House is a non-profit located in Mansfield, Ohio. As the parent organization of Hidden Hollow Camp, Friendly House offers financial assistance in the form of a ‘Campership’ for those families that reside in Richland County, Ohio, and are in financial need. Campership forms must be completed and approved prior to your campers enrollment. Campership forms will only be reviewed after all forms are 100% complete. Families are required to upload typical household financial information. Typically families requesting financial aid are still asked to pay a $75 application fee. The balance of the camp fees may be awarded partially or fully depending upon a family’s financial situation. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Friendly House. Additional information and printable forms may be found at this LINK.
NOTE: Camperships are available on a first come first serve basis and as funding is available. Camperships are typically only available for one week of camp so we can help as many families as possible. Do not wait to complete campership forms as funds are diminished through out the spring and summer. Campership requests should be complete PRIOR to registration.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – PLEASE NOTE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THE FAQs for the 2026 season, including our new registration system. (last update 4/21/26 at 12:44 pm)
As we move to a fully online NEW registration system for the entirety of Friendly House Programs, this FAQ page will be updated routinely. Please be patient with us as we hope everything works easily for you and the process is fairly simple. However, there may be times when issues occur and we will work together to get your child registered into Hidden Hollow Camp. We will add questions as they come up to help alleviate phone calls, emails and a wait for an answer. We recommend that you read all of the FAQs below before making that phone call or sending that email. These FAQs are just to help with registration questions. All other questions regarding Preschool and Daycare, the Summer Fun Program and the Afterschool Program and Happy Hollow Day Camp may be found on our website at www.friendlyhouseonline.com or in one of the program parent handbooks. Links to those handbooks are on each program page.
What time will registration open on April 22nd? The registration link will be LIVE at NOON on April 22nd..
How do I register my camper for the 2026 HHC Season? Registration will begin at NOON, April 22, 2026, ONLINE. The registration links will be posted on this web site as well as on our Facebook page and other social media. Please read all of the FAQs listed on this page. Registration is on a first come first serve basis. If you do not complete your registration, complete all camper forms within two weeks of registration, or do not complete your payment by the deadlines listed, your camper will be placed on a wait list and you may loose your spot. Please contact us if you have any questions. You may go to our main page and click the registration link. NOTE – KPs will need to go through a different process to register. Please click on the Staff and Alumni Tab and scroll to the bottom to find additional information on how to apply to be a KP for a week at HHC.
What if I have a question during registration? Our system has been tested many times before it is scheduled to be activated; however, there may always be technical issues that are unforeseen. Please make a note of the issue and email hhc@friendlyhouseonline.com and we will do our best to assist as soon as we can. Please be aware that you may not get an immediate response and it may take up to 24 hours for a solution.
What are the camp goals? What does Hidden Hollow hope a camper will experience and/or learn? The goals of Hidden Hollow Camp evolve around our purpose of providing a safe, enjoyable and educational experience in a social living environment. Hidden Hollow is designed as an recreational summer camp for boys and girls of varied social, economic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. Campers share experiences in winning, loosing, creating, making friends, developing mentally, socially, physically, and spiritually.
Specific Goals for Campers:
- Become acquainted with their environment
- Experience individual growth and development
- Discover their own potential
- Exercise personal initiative
- Live and work together
- Develop new interests
- Develop spiritual meanings and values
- Enjoy camping
- Develop appreciation for writing letters
- Make new friends
- have a safe enjoyable experience
What should my camper bring and not bring to camp, is there a dress code, and what are the check in and out procedures? For additional information regarding this, please click this LINK.
Can I send a care package to my camper? YES! But please follow these guidelines. Care packages and letters may be mailed or sent via UPS or FedEx to this address: Hidden Hollow Resident Camp, C/O CAMPER, Week X, 5127 Possum Run Road, Bellville, OH 44813. Please make sure you send your package or mail so that it will arrive while your camper is at camp. This may seem obvious, but we send back many packages and letters each year as the mail arrives after the camper has attended. Mail is distributed daily, after dinner each evening. You may also sign up with BUNK1 (use code 26HOLLOW) and send your camper bunk notes, which get printed each day and delivered during mail call. If you do send a care package, please do NOT send food. Typically, food that is sent gets hidden by the camper in their cabin and found by forest friends that we do not want in the cabins. Many parents will deliver letters and care packages and give them to camp staff at drop off to be given out during the week at mail call. If you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
Is there a camp map available? YES! If you click on the link provided you can go to an artistic hand drawn map of the camp, showing the activity areas as well as all the cabins. CLICK HERE FOR MAP!
Where do you find your camp staff and counselors? Most of our camp staff were campers at Hidden Hollow Camp. Most of the camp staff has worked for Friendly House and Hidden Hollow camp for several years. The Friendly House Director, Mr. Terry, who has been with Friendly House and Hidden Hollow for over 55 years, was a Friendly House Kid and has worked in every position Friendly House offers. There are many positions at Hidden Hollow Camp from Kitchen Staff, Cooks, and Counselors. If you have a camper that is at least 15 years of age, they can apply to be on the Kitchen Staff. Junior Counselors must be at least 16 years old and Senior Counselors must be 18 with a high school diploma. If your former camper is interested in applying, they should reach out to Ms. Monica or they may apply online —> Hidden Hollow Camp Online Application. If you know of a potential counselor for 2026, please have them apply!
How much does it cost to send my camper(s) to Hidden Hollow Camp? For 2026, the camp fee is $450 per week/per camper. Jr. Camp is $150 per camper. The registration fee is $75.00 per camper per week. The registration/deposit goes toward your total balance. Registration fee must be paid at the time of APPLICATION online through the system. The balance of your camp fees are due four weeks/30 days prior to your campers arrival date. For example, if your camper is schedule for the Week 1, beginning on June 28, all camp fees must be paid by May 25th. Not paying camp fees on time, may result in your camper being placed on a wait list and the camper’s spot being filled. Payment in full deadlines are listed below:
Junior Camp Fees Due: July 6
Week 1 Fees Due: May 25
Week 2 Fees Due: June 1
Week 3 Fees Due: June 8
Week 4 Fees Due: June 15
Week 5 Fees Due: June 22
Week 6 Fees Due: June 29
Are there any coupons for camp? There are organizations in Richland County that offer discounts for a week of camp. These discounts are advertised locally on radio stations. They are on a first come first serve basis and sell out quickly. Friendly House also offers Camperships to residents of Richland County, Ohio. Camperships may be available to those families who are in financial need. Campership forms are available during the registration process online, or by stopping by Friendly House, and must be completed and approved prior to enrolling a camper. For additional information, scroll the the top of this page. Make sure to read the Camper Registration Tab on how to enter your coupon code. NOTE – There is a known error showing an incorrect balance. This will not affect your fees due, if any.
How do I get a receipt for my camp fee payments? You will log into your account to be able to print your receipt or print an invoice. Payment due invoices are automatically sent to your email address.
Is it difficult to register for camp? How long does it take? It is not difficult, but can take sometime. The initial registration should not take more than 15 to 20 minutes. We do recommend to use a computer vs. a phone. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you read each section of the enrollment process and make sure you are selecting the correct items, i.e. make sure to select Week 1 BOYS if you have a male camper. This sounds obvious, but this is an easy mistake that can be made. Unfortunately, the system does not distinguish between boys and girls and the capacity of camp is gender based. After the initial registration, picking your weeks, and paying your registration fees, you will be emailed an invitation to set up an account and complete the remainder of the required enrollment forms.
What vaccinations and health information is/are required for my child to attend Hidden Hollow? HHC recommends that every camper is to have a physical within one year prior to attending camp and be in good physical and mental health. A physical form from a physician is not required. However, all campers will complete a basic health screening at check-in on Sunday before going to their cabins. Hidden Hollow Camp does not provide medical and accidental insurance for campers. All insurance information needs to be submitted by the parent/guardian into the online registration system. Hidden Hollow Camp requires a full Health History on every camper and staff member. You must provide the most recent month and year for each immunization. We must have the date of the last tetanus shot and/or booster. If your child is not fully immunized, you must sign the exemption form and may be required to submit more information from your doctor or health care provider. All above mentioned forms are completed through our online system. If you have concerns about your child enjoying camp due to health or mental history, medications, disability, and restriction please contact the Camp Director.
How do I enter vaccination information into the system? After your initial registration, you will receive an invitation emailed to you to create an account and fill out your campers medical and other required forms.
What forms and/or other information needs to be completed? There are quite a few forms in the system that must be completed prior to your camper being enrolled for their week at camp. These forms include Basic Medical and Health Procedures, Camper Behavior Guidelines and Procedures, updating yours and your campers profile to include a head shot photo, Health History, Horse Program Permission, Permission to Transport, a Photo Release, etc.
Who should we select as an emergency contact on our campers application? When completing the Emergency Contact portion of your application it is important to select someone who is known to the camper, who you would trust your child with if for some reason your child would need to be picked up from camp, if you were not available. The emergency contact should also be someone who is within driving distance and has agreed to pick up your child if necessary.
What about food allergies? Hidden Hollow Camp is NOT an allergen-free facility, but we will take the necessary precautions to eliminate cross-contamination. No peanuts or nuts are served through our kitchen meal service line. If your child has severe food allergies and/or needs special food or food preparation, please contact the Camp Director. Any camper who is VEGAN must bring their own food and snacks. We recommend providing premade/ready to heat/eat meals that do not require preparation. DO NOT SEND FOOD IN CARE PACKAGES.
NOTE: The Trading Post does sell items that contain peanuts and other allergens. Please talk with a staff member during check in to determine with your camper what items they are NOT permitted to purchase.
What if my camper needs to take medication while at camp? If your child has prescription medication to take, the container must have administration directions from a licensed physician on the original container. You should give all medications to the cabin counselor on Sunday. If the medication needs to be refrigerated, please bring it to the Trading Post when you bank your campers funds for the week. All medication is locked in the office. All refrigerated medications are locked in a box in the walk-in cooler. No camper is to keep medication on their person or in the cabin unless it is for emergency use or ordered by his or her physician. If any type of injections is required by your doctor for your child during their time at camp, an extra fee may be charged at the beginning of your campers week, if the child cannot do the injection themselves. Over-the-counter drugs must be plainly marked with specific instructions and your child’s name. Hidden Hollow Camp has a list of OTC medications and remedies on hand at all time. Please do not send these items with your child, UNLESS the child takes them daily per your or physician instructions. If available, HHC will have the children’s versions of these medications.
Why do I need to upload my child’s photo? And my photo? A recent head shot of you, any other emergency contact and your camper is required. If you are a returning family, please make sure to upload a new recent head shot each year. We do this so the staff can get to know you and your camper prior to their camp week. We need your photo so there isn’t a question of who is allowed to pick up your camper. We also require this for emergency situations, i.e. searching for a lost camper. While a lost camper is a very rare situation, having a campers recent head shot photo is invaluable to help locate the camper. Campers are supervised by at least one staff member, but usually multiple staff members, depending upon the activity.
How many campers will be at HHC per week? This season, camp can hold 103 girls and 80 boys per week. Junior Camp is only open for 48 campers, 24 boys and 24 girls. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you read each section of the enrollment process and make sure you are selecting the correct items, i.e. make sure to select Week 1 BOYS if you have a male camper. This sounds obvious, but this is an easy mistake that can be made. Unfortunately, the system does not distinguish between boys and girls and the capacity of camp is gender based.
What happens if a week is full? If a week is full, you will not see it as a selection. If you do not see the program or program week you would like to choose, you will need to select another week, if available, or be wait listed. The system will not show how many spaces are left each week. For additional information regarding our wait list, please read the Registration Tab.
When does camp start? The HHC 2026 season will begin on June 28 for the first week and run for six weeks. The last week will begin the week of August 2. Junior Camp will be August 9-11.
How old does my camper have to be to attend HHC? Hidden Hollow is open to any boy or girl between the ages of 8-15. 16 year old’s may not register as a camper or KP. Campers must be 8 years old before their week at camp begins. Week 6 of camp is open for campers ages 10-15. Jr. Camp is for ages 6-8 who have who want a shortened camping experience. The camper must have completed Kindergarten before the summer.
What is the KP Program? How old does my child need to be if they want to be a KP? The Hidden Hollow KP Program is designed so a camper, both boys and girls, can see what it is like to work at camp. Those applying to be a KP should be interested in being a counselor in the future. Those campers who are at least 15 may attend camp as a KP. There are only 5 spots available each week and the KP’s are expected to volunteer their time helping set up for meals, serve meals, clean up after meals, help the staff during programs. For their time, there is no fees for a KP to attend camp. KP’s also earn 40 hours of community service credit that they can use toward school requirements. KP positions are highly sought after and are first come first serve. There are only 5 spots per week and each child may only KP for one week. KPs may be invited back for a second week during Week 6 if they did an outstanding job during their original week. If your child is interested in becoming a KP during the 2026 Season please follow the instructions on the Staff and Alumni Tab – scroll to the KP section.
How many weeks can my camper register for? Campers can register one week, two weeks, or the entire summer!
Where do I send my registration form? All registrations must be completed online. The $75 registration fee must be paid online as well at the time of registration. All fees can be paid online through our registration system. You may pay the balance of your fees either online, by check or money order sent to: THE FRIENDLY HOUSE, c/o Hidden Hollow Camp, 380 N. Mulberry St., Mansfield, OH 44902. Paying a fee by check through the postal service will delay enrollment. Please make sure your camper’s name is on the MEMO of the check and what week or weeks they are attending.
How do I pay for HHC? We accept credit and debit card, and e-check payments through our LineLeader online registration system. All online payment fees through our online system are covered by Friendly House. We can accept the above payment types for Hidden Hollow fees over the phone or at Friendly House, with an additional fee. Your account information is kept in the LineLeader Secure Server and can be updated anytime in your account. Please make sure that your Credit Card on file is up to date, not expired and current. Convenience Fee: For credit card transactions, a convenience fee of 2.95% will be charged. For specialty cards such as AMEX, a convenience fee of 3.5% will be charged. For ACH transactions, a convenience fee of $0.80 will be charged. This convenience fee will automatically be applied to your payment amount. By entering in your payment method, you will automatically be enrolled in autopay. You may change your autopay preferences on your profile once you have created your app account.
Will the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) in my county help pay for camp at Hidden Hollow? No.
Can I make a partial payment for my camper(s)? Yes, but you have to make the minimum Application Fee payment of $75 per camper/per week at the time of application. This is the application fee and will hold your campers spot for the weeks chosen. You can make partial payments until 4 weeks prior to your campers week at camp. All payments for camp weeks must be paid in full 4 weeks ahead of your camp week. Families with camp fees unpaid after the 4 week deadline will be contacted and payment must be made immediately. If fees are not paid, your campers ENROLLMENT will be cancelled, and your camper put back on the wait list for that camp week. We will contact another family from the wait list to fill that spot. No refunds will be issued.
How do I the campers pay at the camp store? The Trading Post is open during camp several times per day. At drop off on Sunday’s, parents will deposit money into the Trading Post. The Trading Post accepts CASH or CHECK and for 2026 Credit Cards through Square for depositing funds and retail purchases on Saturday and Sunday only. We recommend $30 to $40, but any amount can be deposited. What ever is not spent by your camper is refunded on Saturday. The Trading Post offers cans of soda, bottles of water and Gatorade, candy bars, snacks, HHC logo items including shirts and hoodies.
Can I order Hidden Hollow swag online so my camper is ready to go? YES! We offer an online logo shop where you can order shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and other garb. If you don’t see something you like, you can email our supplier and do a special request! All items are printed on demand and shipped directly to your home. AND – Friendly House receives a portion of every sale to help your favorite non-profit support our other programs for children! You may order right now – SHOP HERE!
What are the stipulations for utilizing a credit card through Square at the Trading Post? Are there additional fees? Square is not used for camp fees. All camp fees are to be paid online only. Friendly House and Hidden Hollow Camp are happy to announce that we have begun accepting credit card transactions utilizing Square. These transactions may occur in person or over the phone at Friendly House and at Hidden Hollow. We accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App, VISA, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB and UnionPay. For a regular card swipe, chip or tap transaction, there is a CONVENIENCE FEE of 3.00%. For a manual transactions, i.e. over the phone payment or manual entry, there is a CONVENIENCE FEE of 3.55%. These fees are paid by the client. To avoid these fees, you may pay with cash or check. There are no refunds on these fees. Refunds are for balances or program fees only, and at Hidden Hollow Camp, Trading Post balances are returned in cash at check-out. It should be noted that Square will only be available on Saturdays and Sundays at the Trading Post. Again, Square is not available to pay your camp fees. Those fees are paid through our online registration system.
Where is my confirmation that my camper’s registration form has been accepted? You will receive a confirmation email.
I am not getting emails from the registration system, what should I do? Sometimes these emails can be filed to junk or promotional emails. If you are still having issues, please email us.
Am I able to see photos of my camper or send them emails? Yes! We are working Bunk1. It is a very easy system to use. By signing up for this program, you can be notified when photos are posted to your camper as well as send your camper Bunk Notes to be delivered daily during mail call. For additional information and to sign up go to this LINK. Use the sign up code 26HOLLOW.
Can you hold a spot for my camper? No. Friendly House/HHC will not hold spots for campers. However, if a week is full, you may place your child on a wait list and you will be notified if space becomes available. We will call the family in date order. Those who have been on the wait list the longest will be called first. If there is no response, we will contact the next family on the list.
My camper wants to be in the same cabin as their friends. Can you make sure this happens? HHC allows for the request of ONE cabinmate, and both campers must ask for each other in the registration system. Large groups of requested campers may be split up. Older campers will be placed with younger campers. Also, if your camper has a cabin mate, they will likely NOT be sitting at the same table for meals. Think of it this way… if your camper came to HHC alone and was the only camper in a cabin full of friends who knew each other, would you think that arrangement was fair to your single camper?
How do I enter or change a bunk/cabinmate request? You would need to email hhc@friendlyhouseonline.com to make changes to the original request in your enrollment. Please note, changes after your enrollment form has been submitted may not be possible.
What happens if the week my camper wants to attend is full? Camp is on a first-come/first serve basis, and some weeks do fill up faster than others. During the registration process, if you do not see the week you are wanting, it has filled to capacity. To get on the wait list, you will need to select the wait list option and put it in your cart and check out by hitting the Submit Button – even if your cart has a $0 balance. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you read and follow the directions on the Wait List Option. When a spot opens up, HHC staff will contact you to see if you would like a spot in that week. If you do not respond, we will move to the next family. We call those families that were on the wait list first. We don’t want your camper to miss out on the fun either!
You can keep your camper on a waitlist for the week, or you can select another week that is available. If your cabinmate got into camp and you didn’t we can switch everyone to another week with availability, as long as a parent or guardian of all parties call and confirm that they want to switch weeks. We cannot hold spots for campers listed as cabinmates if we do not have the registration form and payment. There is no way to tell when (or if) your camper will get into camp if they are on a waitlist. It’s a waiting game. You could hear in a couple of days from first contact or as late as the the day before camp starts.
What is the cancellation policy for HHC? In most cases, all but one $75 registration fee will be returned to you. Cancellations must be made two calendar weeks (14 days) before the Sunday your camper is scheduled to come to camp to receive this refund. Any cancellations after that will result in no refund. If you are due a refund, your account will not be automatically refunded. ALL REFUNDS WILL BE SENT TO YOU AS A PAPER CHECK FROM THE FRIENDLY HOUSE AND MAILED TO THE PRIMARY ADDRESS ON THE ACCOUNT. If you paid using a gift certificate, your refund amount will be what was paid for that certificate, but not more than what the amount the certificate is worth. If Friendly House needs to cancel camp for any reason, all but $25 per camper will be refunded to families.
What should my camper bring to HHC? Think of packing for camp like packing for a week-long sleepover! Campers should bring a change of clothes for every day (including socks and underwear), blankets and/or sleeping bag and pillows, towels, washcloths and toiletries (toothbrush, shampoo, etc.). Flip-flops are recommended for the showers and swimming pool area, but otherwise closed-toe shoes and/or shoes that tie are best for camp… and required for horseback riding. Campers should also plan for the weather. It does get cold at night, so long-sleeved tees and sweatshirts or light jackets are recommended. More information is available at this link.
Is there anything that my camper should NOT bring to camp? Not everything belongs at camp. Campers should leave the following items at home: cell phones, mp3 or other music players, computers, gaming systems, TV’s, weapons, expensive jewelry, and fans. These items will be collected on Sunday and stored in the office until the end of the week and given back when the parents arrive for pick-up on Saturday. Friendly House/Hidden Hollow Camp can not be responsible for items that were not turned in and become lost, broken or stolen. Pets, firearms, alcohol and tobacco products are not permitted at Hidden Hollow Camp. Weapons, alcohol or tobacco products including vapes brought to camp by a camper may result in your camper being sent home. More information is available at this link.
What if my question isn’t on this list? That’s an easy one to answer! If you have any questions or concerns that aren’t addressed here feel free to call the Friendly House at 419-522-0521 or email us at hhc@friendlyhouseonline.com. We will try and answer your question as best as we can!