As an organization deeply vested in the well-being of children, youth and families, we see every day the effects of the pandemic and so many other pressures on children and youth in our community. While parents are certainly doing their best, it’s a huge challenge, as we read reports daily in the press and see in our own kids’ eyes the struggles they are having to feel happy, safe and connected to others.
There’s no simple “on switch” to change all this, but there are some things right in front of us that help a great bit.
Enter Y Camp, the perfect antidote to stress and a great opportunity for children and youth to run, play, explore passions, make new friends, keep their brains and bodies active and be reminded that they matter.
This is why I am so thrilled to share that though just five days into our annual Send a Kid to Camp campaign, we’ve already raised $65,000 and counting toward our overall goal of over $300,000, a 10% increase over 2021. This includes a generous match given by the Geaton and Joann DeCesaris Family Foundation, for which we are deeply grateful, as well as hundreds of generous gifts from individuals throughout our Y community. Among the givers are many Y families who reached into their pockets to donate while also enrolling their own children in Y Camp!
This early momentum is a tribute to the fact that so many people in this community recognize that we are all lifted when we reach beyond ourselves to care for one another.
Obviously, we have a ways to go to achieve or beat this year’s goal to ensure that hundreds of children and teens in our community can have the summer of fun, support and relief they so badly need. However, I have confidence that with the continued effort and support from across our Y community, we will get there.
All the best,
John K. Hoey
President and Chief Executive Officer
The Y in Central Maryland