Jamie has spent the last two summers wishing he could do something other than hang out at home. The pandemic measures seriously restricted his opportunities to be with his friends as well as all kinds of activities, including summer camp. He’s bored and wants to go to a martial arts camp with his buddies.
But his family can’t afford it. Things have gotten more expensive and his parents just can’t make it work.
This is why we urgently need your continued support. You can make it possible for Jamie to have the opportunity to attend summer camp this year by making a donation to the Kids to Camp Fund.
So far this year, we have been able to support 75 children to attend camp. Generous community support annually provides camp opportunities for up to 300 children.
After two long summers of isolation and boredom, there is pent-up demand for summer camp experiences. This means an increase in requests from families for financial support. Additionally, cost of camp has also increased by an average of 10%.
You might be thinking – what’s so special about summer camp?
Experts in child development see summer camp as a life-changing chance to give a child the opportunity to belong to a community of their own.
For children who have experienced hardship or traumatic events, growing up can happen fast. That may mean they miss out on opportunities where they can develop new skills, learn how to connect with others, gain self-confidence, and develop resiliency along the path to their future.
‘Resilience theory’ is based on the ability to bounce back or move forward. Camp can ignite a spark in a child who has faced adversity. While kids at camp are busy meeting friends, trying new activities, and making memories, a spark is lit for a child to begin coping and making connections with others who believe in them. Research shows that experiences like summer camp build a child’s resilience so they can bounce forward. The earlier a child has these opportunities, the better they will do.
Can we continue count on you to make something good happen this summer with a gift to the Kids to Camp Fund? Your gift will provide Jamie and hundreds of other children with the experience of summer camp.
Summer camps are known for providing a safe environment offering many learning benefits. Going to camp means joining a close-knit community where everyone must agree to cooperate and respect each other. It also means:
- New friends, teamwork and mentorship with trusted counselors
- Confidence to try new things and feeling pride
- Smiles, laughter, silly camp songs, physical activity, exercise, fresh air and good food!
- A common purpose and attachment that offer children a sense of being rooted
In short, summer camp is fun AND makes a difference in a child’s development. It also helps families by offering caregivers some much needed respite. Many families are already socially isolated and pandemic measures worsened that, especially for children.
You can give children the opportunity to attend summer camp and So. Much. More.
Thank you in advance for your generosity and caring. May summer bring you good times with friends and family and lots of sunshine. May you also experience the joy of knowing that you gave Jamie the chance to just be a kid, to put all the worries, loneliness, and isolation behind him and make summer great again.
To make a gift, please click here.