Amici Family 2020 Support Fund
An Announcement from Judy MacGowan, Amici's Executive Director:
July 15, 2020
Dear Amici Friends,
We hope you and your loved ones staying well and enjoying these brighter days.
Whether you are a former camper, a parent of a camper, a camp staff member or a lover of all things camp, we know this summer is difficult. We also know that our many caring and gracious supporters often think about Amici campers during the summer season and reflect on how their support is changing lives.
We know that no matter your connection, you are feeling the loss of overnight summer camp. But, we want you to know that your support of Amici and your passion for the children we support is as meaningful and important as ever. Your support is having tremendous impact today.
I am so pleased to share with you that over the past several months, we have been working hard to put together the Amici Family 2020 Support Fund. This fund is providing unique support to our campers and their families this summer to help them remain happy, healthy and ready to return to camp in 2021.
What is the Amici Family 2020 Support Fund?
The Amici Family 2020 Support Fund consists of two phases:
- Immediate and direct financial assistance to camper families to cover basic needs and necessities, and;
- Financial assistance to cover the cost of alternative programming in the spirit of camp. Families can apply this assistance to enrol their camper in any program focused on physical recreation, leadership, arts, education or first aid or use it toward equipment, supplies or apparel to encourage campers to get outdoors, get creative and bring the magic of camp home.
I am pleased to report that phase one began in late June and is now well underway, supporting our families as they face the daily challenges of this pandemic. Phase two launched this week to ensure our campers still feel connected to the joy of camp this summer.
What is the impact?
The first phase of the support fund has had an immediate positive impact on our families. Based on the feedback we've received, we know that the assistance has been appreciated. We thought you might like to hear about the impact the Fund is already having from one of our families:
“We can’t thank you enough for the e-card. That will definitely brighten Nathan’s day. Once again we thank Amici Charity for their amazing work. I know that your help and support will put smiles on many families during these difficult times.”
While traditional summer camp is not an option this summer, new and interesting programs are being rolled out almost daily across the province. As phase two gets underway, we are excited to work with our families to find programs that support our campers and learn about their unique summer experiences. Rest assured, we will continue to update you as our work continues!
What's next?
We know that when you support Amici you expect that your funds will be used to provide a summer camp experience to a deserving child. To that end, we developed the Amici Family 2020 Support Fund to provide immediate support to our campers while also ensuring that funds are used in a manner consistent with our donor's intentions.
In these uncertain times, we have also been careful to ensure that Amici remains in a strong financial position to continue fulfilling its mission in the summers to come. To that end, we have our sights set on summer 2021 and have already registered campers at our partner camps who have opened their registration. We cannot wait to get our kids back to camp and early morning polar dips, afternoon paddles, evening campfires and sing songs and back to long walks along the path with their forever camp pals.
Thank you for your generous support of Amici campers. None of this would be possible without you and your steadfast belief in the power of camp. Should you have any questions or wish to learn more about the Amici Family 2020 Support Fund, please be in touch at judy@amicicharity.org.
Yours in Camping,
Judy
