{"id":22308,"date":"2025-05-05T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nucamprv.com\/?p=22308"},"modified":"2025-04-08T15:04:50","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T19:04:50","slug":"from-camping-to-caring-the-story-behind-lennas-ladybugs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nucamprv.com\/blog\/from-camping-to-caring-the-story-behind-lennas-ladybugs\/","title":{"rendered":"From Camping to Caring: The Story Behind Lenna\u2019s Ladybugs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Have you ever seen a giant ladybug on the highway?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have, chances are you\u2019ve spotted Susan Rife and her custom TAB 320 CS teardrop trailer wrapped in a bold ladybug graphic. Her 2022 nuCamp trailer isn\u2019t just a conversation starter\u2014it\u2019s a rolling representation of her nonprofit, Lenna\u2019s Ladybugs, which provides clothing to children in developing countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s absolutely the talk of the town,\u201d Susan shared. \u201cIt is so fun to drive down the road with our TAB on the back of our truck. Everybody is smiling and waving. They\u2019ve got their phones up taking pictures of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Love of Camping<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Susan\u2019s husband has been a lifelong camper, a passion he shared with Susan when they married more than 30 years ago. Over the years, she has camped in tents, transitioned to a pop-up camper while raising her children, and later returned to tent camping after they grew up. But as she and her husband got older, they wanted something more comfortable and easier to set up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looking for a camper that was both easy to tow and had a bathroom, they began researching options. Living just an hour from the nuCamp manufacturing facility, Susan\u2019s husband watched countless videos and read about teardrop trailers to see if one would be the right fit for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt just fit the bill,\u201d Susan explained. \u201cIt checked off all the boxes so to speak. \u2026 We\u2019re not getting any younger, and those midnight trips to the public restrooms aren\u2019t that fun anymore. It\u2019s been perfect for us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lenna\u2019s Ladybugs: A Mission of Love<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Lenna\u2019s Ladybugs was founded in 2012 in honor of Susan\u2019s dear friend, Lenna. The two met at Greenwood Christian Church in Canton, Ohio, where they attended Bible study together. Lenna was a devoted yet soft-spoken woman who fell in love with the children of Haiti during a mission trip. She felt called to help them, and when she passed away, Susan felt that same calling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThrough my adult life, God has put me where I need to be at that time,\u201d Susan said. \u201cI still get chills when I think about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2013, Susan\u2019s husband was preparing for a mission trip to Haiti. Due to financial constraints, Susan planned to stay behind\u2014until Lenna graciously offered to cover her costs. Even after Lenna\u2019s passing, her family honored that promise, a testament to Lenna\u2019s generosity and dedication to helping others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLenna was just an inspiration to all of us in her own quiet way,\u201d Susan recalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Small Idea That Grew Worldwide<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Inspired by Lenna\u2019s kindness, Susan and a group of women began making clothing packages for children in Haiti. Their first shipment included 150 handmade T-shirt dresses for little girls. Today, Lenna\u2019s Ladybugs has expanded its reach to 32 missions in 21 countries, sending out an incredible 5,699 packages in 2024 to children around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each package is tailored to the recipient. Little girls receive a dress, underwear, a headband, and a purse, while boys get a shirt, shorts, underwear, and a Hot Wheels car. Teenagers receive a drawstring backpack along with their clothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was not retired when we first started this,\u201d Susan explained, adding she has since retired. \u201cIf anybody had ever told me at my age, I would be starting a nonprofit and have it go to this magnitude, I would have said you\u2019re nuts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nChildren in Zimbabwe receive their Lenna’s Ladybugs packages during a March 2025 trip.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
A Rolling Conversation Starter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Susan\u2019s unique teardrop trailer isn\u2019t just for camping\u2014it\u2019s also a tool for spreading awareness about Lenna\u2019s Ladybugs. In 2024, she brought it to the International Conference on Missions, a four-day event that connects missionaries and organizations with churches and individuals. This past September, she also camped in her TAB at the 75th anniversary celebration at Roundlake Christian Camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Since purchasing their TAB 320, Susan and her husband have traveled to at least 10 states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been so much fun and it\u2019s because the camper is so cool to begin with. It\u2019s an opening for us to talk about Ladybugs then too,\u201d Susan said. \u201cNot only are we having a great time with our nuCamp, but people say why the ladybug?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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