| Special
Camp for Special Kids
has three primary sources
of revenue: 1) camper
and counselor tuition,
2) foundational grants,
and 3) private
donations. The scarcity
of summer camp programs
providing meaningful
opportunities for
school-age children with
disabilities is a
problem that Special
Camp for Special Kids is
attempting to address
through its mission and
vision. |
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| Due
to statewide budget
cutbacks, there are few
opportunities for
children with
disabilities to
participate in summer
camp programs,
especially in South
Orange County.
Prohibitive medical
costs burden many
families of children
with disabilities;
therefore, some families
struggle to afford the
expense of special
summer programs or day
care. Since its
inception, Special Camp
has sought to provide an
affordable summer
experience to its
participants. Thus, our
tuition revenue only
provides approximately
50 % of our annual
operating costs.
Annually, the program
seeks to raise over
$35,000 to make the
dream of Special Camp a
reality. |
The
only reason Special Camp for
Special Kids has been able to
give so much to the Southern
California community,
especially the disabled
community, is because of the
support we have received from
outstanding foundations,
businesses, and individuals.
The Special Camp program has
been recognized and supported
by foundations and
organizations such as the
Irvine Health Foundation, The
George Hoag Foundation, the
Pacific Mutual Foundation, The
Orange County Community
Foundation, and
The Council for Exceptional
Children. Additionally, The
generous support of
corporations and businesses
such as PepsiCo, IMPAC Funding
Corporation, In-N-Out Burgers,
Taco-Bell, Edwards Cinema,
Laguna Niguel Rotary
Foundation, Inc., Esoteric
Edibles, Panda Express,
Scarantino's Italian Inn, The
Episcopal Diocese of Los
Angeles, and St. Margaret's
Episcopal School and Church
allows Special Camp to
continue providing a unique
summer camp experience.
Financial
and gift-in-kind donations
given by the community are
essential in securing the
infrastructure of the program.
However, Special Camp
continues to seek and need
additional support from the
community as our
programming, enrollment,
staffing, and outreach
expands. Donors are also
needed to sponsor campers and
counselors for the weeks of
camp. Approximately 20% of
Special Camp's annual budget
is appropriated for camper and
counselor scholarships. In
Special Camp's ten-year
history, no applicant has ever
been turned away because of
financial need. It is a
primary goal of the program to
offer tuition assistance to
any applicant who demonstrates
a need. We
seek the community's help each
year to provide financial,
gift-in-kind, and scholarship
support. The
Special Camp family can only
exist and flourish with the
generous support from
corporations, foundations,
businesses, and private
individuals.
Each
year the number of applicants
increases. Some campers and
counselors drive more than
sixty miles daily to attend
Special Camp. Families submit
applications months in
advance, and camp sessions are
usually full three months
prior to the start of camp.
The tremendous growth
experienced by the program has
been a welcomed blessing to
the community and to the
program itself. However, the
program's development has also
provided many new challenges.
Special Camp has been forced
to establish an enrollment cap
to ensure the safety of all of
its participants and to
preserve the "Special
Camp experience." In the
past three years, Special Camp
has developed extensive
waiting lists for camper and
counselor applicants.
In
addition to annual support for
the program, Special Camp is
exploring and seeking out
opportunities to expand this
life-changing summer
experience to other parts of
the Southern California
community and the nation. A
preliminary long-range plan
has the goal of expanding to a
site in the Northern Orange
County area by the summer of
2005. The vision
of the Special Camp family is
that this program will be a
nationwide endeavor
incorporated under a future
Special Camp for Special Kids
foundation.
If
you are interested in offering
annual support of Special Camp
by providing financial,
gift-in-kind, and/or
scholarship support, or if you
are interested in supporting
Special Camp's long-term
mission and vision through
foundation support, endowment
planning, large corporate or
private gifts, and any other
ways of giving, please do
not hesitate to contact
Special Camp for Special Kids.
Important
contacts for giving to Special
Camp:
Kathleen Paylor
Advancement Office
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School
(949) 661-0108, Ext. 318
Maureen McAndrews
Advancement Office
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School
(949) 661-0108, Ext. 255
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