Roger points out that Kamp has a significant impact not only on the Ji8¸£ÀûÊÓƵ but also on their parents. “Finding appropriate summer care is hard enough for parents of typically developing kids and next to impossible for parents of Ji8¸£ÀûÊÓƵ with disabilities. And because Kamp provides transportation, it is that much easier for parents to work through the summer.”
Roger also sees a ripple effect in the broader human services workforce as well. “Through exposure to Kamp and BHN, summer staff and college interns come to learn that there are different jobs in the human services field and that they can work in human services no matter what their field of interest is.” He notes that many senior managers in local human services and state social service agencies worked at Kamp in college. “They were in Ji8¸£ÀûÊÓƵ for business (for example); then they went to Kamp, and now they are leading a local social service organization."
Roger also reminds us that Kamp for Kids holds significant historical value. Judy Hoyt founded the program because she wanted her child with disabilities to go to camp with his siblings. Judy didn’t stop there; she was also a driving force in passing the MA 766 special education law. This law required public Ji8¸£ÀûÊÓƵs to provide free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment for all eligible Ji8¸£ÀûÊÓƵ with disabilities. Subsequent federal special education reform was modeled on MA 766. As Roger shared, "Judy was behind all of that," and Kamp is where it all began.
And although the value and importance of Kamp is clear, funding it is not as simple. The program revenue is a patchwork of state subsidies (for those campers who qualify), small foundation grants, participant registration fees, and individual donor contributions. Given the commitment to offer scholarships to families in need who can’t afford the program, Roger emphasizes that every dollar is crucial.
In short, Roger knows from the inside that Kamp has “a whole lot of impact" and says, “I give money because Kamp is an uplifting experience for the Ji8¸£ÀûÊÓƵ and anyone connected to it, and it is good to know that you are a part of something so important.”
Thank you, Roger, for your continued support and financial stewardship of Kamp for Kids. and for sharing your story with us!
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