Communications

Letters from home mean a great deal to campers. Send mail through the US Postal Service to the following address:

Camper Name
JCC Camp Chi
Village Name and Gender
P.O. Box 104
Lake Delton, WI 53940

Your campers are required to write home at least twice each week. We bring campers’ letters to the post office every day. Please keep in mind that mail delivery may be slow given that the Lake Delton Post Office is a small operation.

All camp families have access to Chi’s one-way email system through CampInTouch at no additional cost. The system allows camp to retrieve, sort and print email very quickly so we can distribute it to your camper during regular, daily mail call. Emails are printed once each day, first thing in the morning. Standard emails without add-ons (e.g. Stationary, Smart Words & Sudoku) are free. Add-ons require “campstamps,” which can be purchased by clicking on the “buy more” link at the top of the page. These purchases are through CampInTouch not Camp Chi.

This convenience is only available to camp families; campers will not be able to respond via email just through snail mail. As a traditional camp, we value the growth that occurs when campers can’t rely on direct communication with their parents when making decisions.

Due to the high volume of emails we receive, please limit your emails to one per day per camper.

Sometimes letters just aren’t enough and you need to talk to someone at camp with questions or concerns. We suggest that you begin with your child’s village leader by calling 847.763.3551. Camp Chi’s voicemail system provides you with their direct extensions as well as the camp directors and Health Center. If you leave a message, you will receive a return phone call within 24 hours unless the staff member is out of camp on a trip, in which case you will be notified.

Parents may telephone us at any time. Office hours are from 9:00am to 9:00pm (Central Time) Sunday through Thursday; 9:00am-5:00pm (Central Time) on Friday and 10:00am-8:00pm on Shabbat. If a phone call is an emergency, the Camp Directors will be sought immediately. For after-hour emergencies that cannot wait until morning, Camp Directors or a Manager on Duty are available 24 hours a day. Please call the main office at 847.763.3551 and follow the emergency call instructions.

Parents are not permitted to call campers unless it is the camper’s birthday or the call has been approved by the camp directors. Parental phone calls often interfere with camper adjustment, increase the likelihood of homesickness and disrupt scheduled activities.

We use CampInTouch as the primary communication platform during the summer. This where we communicate important information you need to know about camp, post our daily summer news updates and weekly Village Leader letters. In addition, you will be able to view all photos through this platform. Please check your CampInTouch account regularly during the summer for the most up to date information on your campers’ summer experience.

CampInTouch

While most camps fully prohibit their campers receive packages, we have developed a package policy that balances the needs and wishes of parents, campers and camp staff with safety and feasibility of distribution. We understand it is fun for families to send their campers packages, and it is fun for campers to receive them, but we also need to control what is entering camp and the number of packages we receive daily. We will strictly adhere to the following package guidelines:

• Campers may receive envelopes not larger than 12”x15” and 1” thick.
• Envelopes larger than 12”x15”x1” and all boxes are not permitted.
• If a package is received that is larger than the above guidelines, our office staff will contact the camper’s family seeking permission to open the package. If family members cannot be reached, the package will be returned to sender.
• Food cannot be sent to campers.
• Additional packages can be purchased from the Camp Chi Canteen or one of our approved vendors.

Why the size limits?

We have limited the size of packages to 12″ X 15″ X 1″ but have not limited the quantity of them. This way, we can allow families’ wishes to send unlimited packages to campers, while still monitoring and maintaining the safety of our camp community.

Please Note: We do not allow boxes to be sent to camp.

Why can’t campers receive food?

Packages cannot contain food for a variety of reasons. While at camp, your child is living in the woods. Having snacks or candy attracts critters into cabins. No one likes living with mice, which inevitably show up once food is present in cabins. It is a trying task for our counselors to have to confiscate food that is sent in packages. Also, we have noticed over the years that the presence of food causes disagreements between those who have and those who don’t. To avoid these arguments, we provide Canteen times, snacks and plenty of special treats. Most importantly, with the prevalence of so many food allergies, sending food to your child may put other campers at risk of an allergic reaction. We want to keep all campers safe.

What are the approved vendors for additional packages?

• eCanteen:  Packages can be ordered at gear.campchi.com or by calling Teri Chamlin at 847.763.3677.
• Camp Pacs: www.camppacs.com or 800.248.2267

What if there is something that my child needs but won’t fit in an envelope?

We want to help families in any way we can. If there is something that your camper needs at camp (i.e. medication, replacement eyeglasses, summer reading books for school), please contact one of the camp directors or your camper’s village leader before sending it. We can give you instructions for making sure that limited necessity items can be delivered to your camper. Please keep in mind that campers can purchase many necessity and toiletry items at the Chi Canteen.

Almost all of our communication with families comes through email or via our website. We must have a valid email address for each family of registered campers. This is the only way to guarantee that you receive important announcements and updates from us. Also, please add info@campchi.com to your address book or safe list to ensure that our emails will not be blocked as spam. If you are not certain that we have a correct email address for your family, please call our office at 847.763.3551.

Both JCC Chicago and Camp Chi use special software to send emails to large numbers of people or groups. By having campers at Camp Chi, your family is part of the JCC community, and will receive emails from both Camp Chi and JCC Chicago. It is important that you do not “opt out” of receiving JCC emails. Opting out of these emails will prevent you from receiving important information regarding Camp Chi programs, updates and news. If you have opted out, please email us at jfeinberg@jccchicago.org.