You Can Help Send Kids to Sleepaway Camp for Free by Donating to This Organization
As aviation and travel enthusiasts, we understand just how much goes into getting from one place to another. At times, it can be the most crucial (and, sometimes, our favorite) part of going on a trip. But sadly, not everyone has access to air travel — and some people, despite whatever limitations are holding them back, really need it.
That's why we were so excited to learn about the Experience Camps program. If you're not already familiar with EC, they're a nonprofit charity organization that sends boys and girls that lost a parent, sibling or primary caregiver on a one-week-long summer camp experience free of charge. Programs encourage children to explore their grief, build confidence and create lasting bonds with other campers through therapeutic (and fun) camp activities.
"For some of our kids, it's the first time they're in a camp atmosphere, and it's pretty amazing to watch as they experience the joys of summer camp that they might not have been able to get otherwise," Jesse Moss, national program manager of Experience Camps told The Points Guy.
This year's campsites are in Georgia, California, Pennsylvania, Maine and Michigan and will occur throughout late July and August — and they're pulling numbers. "This summer, our newest program in Michigan will have 60 kids," Moss said. "Our largest program in Maine will have 185 kids (that one has been around the longest). Across the board, we're going to have about 800 kids come to Experience Camps this summer."
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It costs about $2,500 to send one kid to camp, but Experience Camps covers the charges. Which is what leads us back to air travel — Experience Camps flies kids from all over the country to the various locations for each week-long session. The program does offer scholarships, but since the camp is completely free, they wind up spending between $5,000 and $10,000 in travel costs alone to get some kids to the campgrounds.
"If they didn't have to cover all of those travel costs, they could actually send more kids to camp," added Moss.
That's where you come in. You can help Experience Camps by donating to their travel fund directly through their website. Just enter whatever amount you can, and you can help give a grieving child a fun, healing week at sleepaway camp for free. And be sure to write, The Points Guy in the additional comments section.
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