Friends of the Southborough Youth Commission is reaching out to the community again on behalf of kids who can’t afford summer camp.
Last year, the middle-school camp held at Trottier was discontinued due to budgetary constraints and uncertainty. The town budget didn’t include funding to help families in need find alternative camps. So, Friends of SYC started raising funds with Southborough Youth and Family Services to “Send a Kid to Camp”. (The program covers kids of all ages.)
Thanks to community donations and support from some local camps, SYFS was able to provide 26 complete or partial camperships to Southborough children for a variety of area programs.
Unfortunately, full camperships available have decreased, while program fees have increased. This year, SYFS projects that it will need to raise $10,000 for the program.
Friends of SYC is asking for your help. The group is asking for tax exempt donations from residents and businesses. You can click here (or click My Southborough’s Send a Kid to Camp ad anytime.)
For more details, read their request for help below:
Why help send a child to Summer Camp?
- Swimming, arts, sports, challenge activities, nature exploration
- Safety, supervision, structure
- Confidence and relationship building with peers and adults
- Memories
Dear Neighbor,
Southborough Youth and Family Services, in cooperation with residents and businesses of our local community, has been able to consistently support camperships for the children of Southborough families who otherwise do not have the financial means to send them. The camp for children in middle-school, held at Trottier for nearly 30 years, discontinued operations in the summer of 2013 due to increased budgetary constraints and uncertainty. In recognition of the innumerable benefits a camp experience offers school-age children and adolescents, Southborough Youth and Family Services hopes to be able to continue to meet the needs of Southborough families through strengthening the Send a Kid to Camp program.
The Send a Kid to Camp program is funded by donations from local residents, businesses and organizations, together with camperships provided by locally affiliated camps. In 2013, Youth and Family Services provided 26 complete or partial camperships to Southborough children to attend programs at Fay School, Kidsboro, Southborough Extended Day, Hopkinton YMCA, and Teamworks. As the number of camps donating full camperships has decreased, the cost has subsequently increased. For example, an examination of local day camps range in cost from $400 to $600 for two weeks. Overnight camps designed to meet the unique needs of middle-school age children advertise fees from $1200 to $1500 for two weeks. It is expected that in order to successfully fund expenses associated with summer camperships for Southborough children, approximately $10,000 will need to be raised.
Given that the town budget does not designate any funds towards camperships, Southborough Youth and Family Services is asking that you please consider making a donation to support this invaluable program. Contributions of any amount will be gratefully received, and all are encouraged to explore matching gift programs offered by their employers. Friends of the Southborough Youth Commission, the group that raises funds to help support Southborough Youth and Family Services programs, has 501(c)(3) status as a charitable organization, allowing gifts to be tax deductible. Donations can be made securely online through the Friends of the Southborough Youth Commission website, www.southboroughfriends.wordpress.com, or by sending a check made payable to Friends of the Southborough Youth Commission to Friends of SYC, 17 Common Street, Southborough, MA 01772.
You can find out more about Southborough Youth and Family Services and Friends of the Southborough Youth Commission by visiting www.southboroughtown.com/YouthFamily/youthfam.htm, or contact Laurie Sugarman-Whittier at 508.481.5676 ext. 1. Thank you in advance for your support of the Campership Program.
With kind regards,
Friends of the Southborough Youth Commission
Updated (3/21/14 2:10 pm): I corrected my mistaken assumption above. While the program was launched in reaction to the loss of the middle school camp – the program isn’t limited to middle school children.
