Peanut butter makes a great sandwich – all that gooey goodness binding the bread together. Summer camp is a bit like peanut butter, connecting the end of the school year with the beginning of a new school year. Kids learn new skills and make new friends and like it as much as they do peanut butter sandwiches. This past summer, hundreds of kids attended Sasamat Outdoor Centre’s summer camps in Port Moody. The program is funded by United Way and helps kids be all they can be. At camp, kids learn all kinds of things from co-operative play to campfire songs.
“Sasamat Outdoor Centre inspires personal growth and leadership through learning and playing in the outdoors. The centre makes sure that all kids get a chance to attend summer camps no matter what their financial circumstance,” says Bronco Cathcart, Executive Director of Sasamat Outdoor Centre. “Self-esteem begins through belonging, learning and contributing. This is true whether a child is on a positive or negative path. Camp provides a positive path, children ‘own’ their experiences, and return to their families from a place of positive motivation, and with an increased sense of independence.” says Bronco.
Not only that. For some campers, it has such an impact that they go on to become camp counsellors. “There’s a picture of me having my diaper changed in one of the offices,” says 21 year old Nicole, a camp counsellor, “that’s how long I’ve been hanging out at Sasamat.”
“My dad passed away when I was 15. I was really struggling, my family had always been really close and all of a sudden my dad wasn’t there anymore. I decided to sign up for the leadership program. The program itself and the volunteering made me feel like I was really good at something. Sasamat gave me a big sense of belonging.” – Nicole, camp counsellor
United Way support is critical to Sasamat Outdoor Centre’s programs for children. It provides us the ability to invest in our local community, helping children to become good citizens who will in turn build a better community and provides us the capacity to implement new programs and to keep fees affordable for everyone. As our community grows in numbers and geography, and becomes more diverse, this investment will only become more important,” says Bronco.
Behind every changed life is someone who made it happen.
None of the work that United Way does would be possible without the support of our donors. Your gift means kids have access to mentoring, homework help, counseling and summer camp to help them grow up great. Support kids to be all that they can be. Please give generously.
