Prepared for National Council of Jewish Women Canada, Toronto “Kick Off to Camp Campaign”
Summer camp may only last a couple of weeks or months out of the year, but its impact on a child or teen’s life is immeasurable. From building lifelong friendships and learning new skills to having fun outside in the summer, many of us still hold onto beautiful memories of our childhoods at camp. For many of our families, camp is also an increased financial burden. Through a new fundraising initiative “Kick Off to Camp Campaign” from NCJWC, Toronto, children going to camp received a $75 Walmart gift card towards purchasing running shoes and any other camp essentials needed for the summer.
Client Story
Melissa* is a single mother of two young children and a current client of JF&CS. Over the past three years, Melissa has been coping with severe illness while struggling on a very limited income. She expressed concerns about her children not having the opportunity to attend summer camp with her JF&CS social worker. Melissa also has her own worries about how she might manage caring for the children by herself at home all summer.
Upon completing her camp eligibility assessment with the agency, her children were registered for two months at camp and received Walmart gift cards, camp bags and a clothing allowance.
Through the subsidies offered by JF&CS, Melissa could focus on her medical needs and recovery throughout the summer while her children enjoyed their summer at camp. She was also referred to other agency services that have helped her and her family live more stable and dignified lives. Melissa has expressed her gratitude and appreciation to JF&CS for all the assistance she received.
Key Takeaways:
- Due to accessibility challenges, not all of the cards were distributed. We plan to find alternative ways to distribute the gifts to clients to address these accessibility barriers.
- We intend to encourage families to access all resources made available to them and their children.
- Any gifts not accessed this year will be saved for the summer of 2023.
