H2O Summer Service Camp 2012

H2O, “Help to Others” is excited to announce that planning is underway for the 18th year of Summer Service Camp. Middle school-aged kids who are Lakewood residents can apply to attend camp during one of its four two-week sessions. Campers are placed into small groups with a trained counselor. Each camper experiences a variety of service opportunities by going to a different site each day. Last year’s sites and agencies included Asian Services in Action, Migration and Refugee Services, Camp Can Do, Cleveland Foodbank, Crestmont North Nursing Facility, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Childcare facilities, H2O Clothing Drive, H2O LEAF garden, Lakewood Community Services Center, Lakewood Division of Aging, Laura’s Home, Ronald McDonald House, and Lakewood Arts Festival Craft Day. The camp experience is enhanced by themes, speakers, games, and an over-all sense of belonging.

 While the mission and structure of camp remains the same, there are a few changes in the registration process this year. First of all, the fee to attend camp has been raised from $60.00 per camper for a two-week session to $80.00 per session. The increased fee still does not reflect the true cost of the camp experience. The main expense of camp is the salaries of its seasonal staff, and it is greatly offset by H2O’s annual fundraising efforts. Without the annual giving campaign and the generous donors who respond to the request, H2O would have to charge much more for each registration. It is part of the mission of camp to offer a low-cost experience so that it is available to families, regardless of income. With that in mind, we understand that the increased fee may be outside the range of affordability for some, so a portion of the fundraised dollars are reserved to offer partial financial assistance to campers. Financial arrangements can be made by calling the H2O office at 529-6045.

The popularity of Summer Service Camp has made it necessary to pool all the applications and draw through a lottery system to fill spots in the sessions. The change to the process this year is that the lottery will be drawn in 2 stages: 7-9th grade and then 6th grade if any spaces are left. There are two main reasons for this change: Some of the social service agencies at which we volunteer have minimum age requirements, and Summer Service Camp benefits students the most as a continuous experience into high school. This change in process will allow more more of the older kids to experience camp.

Aside from these changes, all the other good stuff will be the same: Great staff, a variety of service learning opportunities, a fun theme, and a truly memorable two weeks of camp! Camp applications will be available on April 2nd online (http://onelakewood.com/HumanServices/Youth/H2O/), at Lakewood Public Libraries, and at the Lakewood Recreation Department. Camp applications are due by 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 27th, and notifications will be sent home by May 7th regarding camp placements.

Read More on Other
Volume 8, Issue 6, Posted 9:13 PM, 03.20.2012