A Message from the Director
It is Mid October, 2000 and I am listening to the presidential debates and to the news about the Middle East War; the headlines in today’s paper discussed the recent armed robberies in Springfield, Miss America’s “character education” platform and the fact that poverty is rampant in Illinois. So much in this world is in turmoil . . . politics aside let’s think about poverty and crime and how it will affect our future and the future of the children. There are the disturbing statistics for many of the counties we serve in Central Illinois at both the Springfield and the Jacksonville camps: Poverty rates are from 8-9.9% in Sangamon County to 11.7-28.7% in Brown County to 10-11.6% in Morgan County. The other counties we serve range somewhere in between there.
It is hard to be a child in today’s crime ridden, poverty stricken areas. Camp Care-A-Lot helps children get a chance to see that conflicts can be solved without fists. They get a chance to sleep in a bed on clean sheets, brush their teeth with their own new toothbrush, get a new stuffed animal to take home along with campers memories, eat 3 meals (and 3 snacks) per day and get a character education that they so badly need. Camp Care-A-Lot children, ages 6-10, get an opportunity to learn about how to get along in the world, how to handle their anger and channel it into positive actions, and hopefully learn to say no to gangs, drugs and violence and YES to EDUCATION, SELF-ESTEEM and LOVE of HUMANITY no matter what race, culture or background they are.
During the summer of 2000, we had a record number of campers and also of staff. We still didn’t have enough full time staff (especially in Springfield) to handle the amount of campers. We would like to expand the numbers for 2001. |
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Those of you receiving this by mail have been either donors or volunteers. We can’t have camp without you. Please consider giving up a week of time to be a counselor. PLEASE CONSIDER CONTINUING DONATING TO OUR EFFORTS (POSSIBLY RAISING YOUR DONATION) FOR THIS YEAR.
In a world where so many children can’t get a chance to experience a camp situation full of love, education and safety, you can give a child a chance by continuing your support to our children.
As we think about the Holidays, our new elected officials for the coming years, and the situations in the world, please think beyond your backyard. Our campers are the future . . . Miss America, politicians, census takers or more. More than likely these children will be YOUR community members. . . . We have a chance to help them avoid being part of the crime or poverty into which many of our campers are born. Welcome them into your hearts now so we don’t have to worry about them being unwelcome in our homes later. Thanks and have wonderful Holidays.
Eydee Schultz, Camp Director
217-546-4777 |
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An Anonymous Donation
An angel happened by us. Thanks to you, a most special person, for your unbelievably generous donation of stock which we turned into cash in order to send 2 cabin groups of children from Central Illinois to our camps. We appreciate your continued support of camp. You have been there for us and the kids each year since the beginning. The children love when you spend time with them and the staff is always happy to have your help. We hope you will continue to volunteer at camp and hope that your generous anonymous donation will be a model for other people who will want to contribute stock as a tax benefit, while helping many children attend Camp Care-A-Lot for a once in a lifetime experience of fun and education. Thank you so much. We love you.
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