Giving Tuesday from Maine Camps
November 28, 2023
It’s #GivingTuesday and Maine Camp Experience (MCE) is happy to share information about how we empower campers to help others, and to inspire others to give, too.
When children spend time at Maine Camps, they not only get to have fun, enjoy beautiful nature, make new friends, learn new skills, and enjoy great trips and traditions … they also learn the importance of giving back. Maine Camps engage campers and counselors in social action initiatives that show them what it means to be a part of something greater than themselves and encourages them to give back.
Our Maine Camp community supports many worthy groups and in many ways, including: stocking food pantries, fundraising through running races, donating spare change, supporting children with life-threatening illnesses, helping the elderly, caring for animals, keeping lakes clean, supporting peace, and so many more. Read about social responsibility at Maine Camps: https://mainecampexperience.com/The-Maine-Difference/Social-Responsibility
Campers participate in programs during the summer and throughout the year. As we’ve seen many times, campers are excited about what they learned at camp that they often take programs back to their hometown communities and schools.
Several MCE Camps are nonprofit camps and/or host special no-cost programs before or after their traditional camp sessions (Agawam, Birch Rock, O-AT-KA, Walden). Many Maine Camps have a philanthropic arm to which people can donate to help support tuition for children to attend those camps as well as to raise funds that help improve grounds, facilities, equipment, and trips. Similarly, the American Camp Association enables people to donate money toward “camperships” and people can choose to which camp they’d like their donation to be allocated. Also, Maine Camps have partnerships with many different organizations that are close to their hearts - Experience Camps, SCOPE, Wildflower for Kids, Seeds of Peace, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and so many more.
Two organizations we’d like to highlight are Camp Sunshine and World of Change. MCE has ongoing partnerships and donated to each on this #GivingTuesday. We hope you will consider these and/or others that are meaningful to you.
Camp Sunshine: Founded in 1984, Camp Sunshine provides retreats combining respite, recreation and support, while enabling hope and promoting joy, for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families through the various stages of a child’s illness.
Camp Sunshine’s program is offered year-round and has the distinction of having been designed to serve the entire family in a retreat model. The program is free of charge to families and includes on-site medical support. Bereavement sessions are also offered for families who have experienced the death of a child from a supported illness.
All funds raised will help keep Camp Sunshine’s mission moving forward and will support children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Camp Sunshine shares: “As the holiday season approaches, please remember that Giving Tuesday is coming up on November 28, 2023. This year, all donations made to Camp Sunshine will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000!” Camp Sunshine is an MCE member camp. https://www.campsunshine.org
World of Change (WOC): World of Change® is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization that converts loose change into social change for children and families in need. The focus is on providing basic essentials and support to children and families so they can succeed and thrive. It benefits those who receive assistance from the spare change collected, and also empowers all to be change makers. Since 2017, WOC change makers have gathered millions of coins for more than 200 nonprofit programs worldwide. WOC celebrates their impact across their six chosen focus areas (Education, Housing, Food, Health, Animals & Nature, and Play). For example, with change collected this year, WOC has provided: thousands of meals, new beds for those sleeping on the ground, backpacks with school supplies, health care for cancer patients, mental health support, care for animals, and planted trees. This past summer, like in previous summers, thousands of Maine campers had the opportunity to participate by donating change as the WOC Change Collection Truck visited MCE Camps. Founder Matt Hoidal always inspires campers and counselors to “be the change.” World of Change also visited our annual MCE Camp Directors meeting this fall. https://www.worldofchange.world
So, on this #GivingTuesday and throughout the year, whether it’s time and/or money - give what you can to help make the world a better place.
Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools
Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child? Try out our helpful_ tool where you can select a camp by choosing__: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks). It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates. Then you can research these camps in more depth. _
Next, be sure to contact our Maine Camp Guide, Laurie to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.
You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitude on our Memories of Camp section of our website.