| $10,000 Donation allows Camp DeWolfe Additional Campers from the Heal the Children Program | |
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Bethpage Federal Credit Union, inspired by Camp Dewolfe’s hospitality to children affected by Superstorm Sandy, donated $10,000 to Camp DeWolfe on Thursday, August 8. The donation allowed nine additional children to attend in the final weeks of this summer’s session. Camp DeWolfe announced earlier this summer that fifteen Long Island children, who have been devastated by Superstorm Sandy this past year, would be able to attend Camp DeWolfe in Wading River free of charge thanks to Episcopal Charities of Long Island and the American Campers Association-New York, New Jersey’s (ACA-NY/NJ) Project Heal the Children. Camp DeWolfe is a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island: the Episcopal Church in Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk. The American Camp Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of summer camps, is the premier certifying agency for all summer camps of which Camp DeWolfe is proud to be one of its accredited members. The Heal the Children program, initially created by ACA-NY/NJ in response to the horrific terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, provides free summer camp sessions to children in our own communities who have suffered great loss. Camp DeWolfe is one of ninety day camps and overnight camps who responded to ACA NY/NJ’s appeal to donate spots for these children. Working with state agencies, politicians and relief organizations such as FEMA, ACA NY/NJ conducted an aggressive media campaign that got the word out to families affected by the devastating storm. As stated by Susie Lupert, Executive Director of ACA-NY/NJ, “Going to summer camp will give these children the opportunity to have something to look forward to in the immediate future, a positive camp experience, while also giving their families the time and energy to focus on rebuilding their lives.” Thanks to Episcopal Charities of Long Island’s scholarship fund, Camp DeWolfe was able to provide 100% coverage of camp fees for 15 applicants from the Long Island region. These campers come from diverse communities from Far Rockaway to Massapequa. Although the Heal the Children program is no longer accepting applications at this time, you can learn more about the fund and the American Campers Association on www.aca-nynj.org. For further information about Camp DeWolfe, please visit their site, www.campdewolfe.org. |
