Grants to Provide T’mee’cha & Communal Success

Camp Chi is a place where everyone is comfortable regardless of background, ability, or interest. Everyone meaning both camper and staff member. Through our rich history, we have become known for many things. We are proud to have become synonymous for inclusive camping. Our efforts with camper care, inclusion, our Avodah program through our partnership with Keshet, and Camp Firefly with JCFS have all received national recognition. All of these efforts are ways we provide support, or t’mee’cha to our community. Over the years we have come up with various tools and systems to provide t’mee’cha. Just last year we updated 3 cabins in camp to make them accessible for individuals in wheelchairs. But we do not rest on our laurels; we strive to continually improve. And we are thrilled to announce that we have received three prestigious national grants to dramatically increase the t’mee’cha we provide and how we provide it.

Our 3 accessible cabins last summer were made possible by the Yashar Initiative through the Foundation for Jewish Camp, funded by the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. It is with great pride that we announce we will be included in the second phase of the Yashar Initiative, and this year will modify an additional thirteen cabins with ramps, larger doorways, reconfigured interiors and/or expanded porches. Furthermore, a number of bathhouses will get new flooring and improved entryways, enabling access for campers using assisted mobility devices. Finally, nearly 10,000 square-feet of pathways throughout camp will be regraded and restored to allow for improved mobility and independence. For more information on the Yashar Initiative through the Foundation for Jewish Camp, click here.

Also through the Foundation for Jewish Camp and funded by the Marcus Family Foundation, we are excited to be one of the first to receive the Yedid Nefesh grant to provide financial and programmatic dollars to address MESH (Mental, Emotional, and Social Health) in holistic ways, supporting the hiring of qualified mental health professionals, enhancing staff training, integrating wellness programming into activities and more. Our ability and efforts in both camper care and staff care will be transformed by the training and t’mee’cha we are able to provide for our community with this grant. For more information on Yedid Nefesh, click here.

The third grant comes from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, who awarded Camp Chi a Direct Effect Quality of Life grant. Some of the most beloved and iconic places at camp are the Cove and the Pools and with this grant, we will be able to purchase accessible sand and water equipment to ensure accessibility of these special places. This funding will go toward the purchase of pool lifts, beach wheelchairs, accessible picnic tables and more for Summer 2020.

It takes a great effort to set everyone up for success. Staff need proper training, the right tools to do their jobs, resources to turn to for assistance, and systems of t’mee’cha that they can rely on. Campers need those staff and more to be able to use their skills and tools effectively and need their own t’mee’cha system at camp as well. Having a facility that is setup in a way where people of all abilities have access and can flourish is imperative for setting up a community to succeed. Communal success is at the heart of what we do each summer and these three generous grants will provide us the t’mee’cha to create a system of communal success for years to come.