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Ji8¸£ÀûÊÓƵ, Inc. (BHN) has announced it has received a grant of $5,000 from Westfield Bank’s Future Fund Program to benefit Kamp for Kids™, the organization’s summer day camp for Ji8¸£ÀûÊÓƵ and young adults with and without disabilities.

Westfield Bank has been a longtime supporter of BHN’s Kamp for Kids™. According to Catherine Jocelyn, Vice President of Marketing at Westfield Bank, “We consider it an honor to support Kamp for Kids™. We are always happy to support such a worthwhile organization that has been serving our community and more importantly Ji8¸£ÀûÊÓƵ for so many years.”

Westfield Bank established The Future Fund in 2002 as a response to overwhelming community needs and the shrinking sources of corporate philanthropy. It prioritizes funding to 501(c)3 educational, recreational, cultural, and social service programs that serve Westfield Bank’s market area.

Grants made to Kamp for Kids™ provide camperships to youth with or without disabilities to ensure that all Ji8¸£ÀûÊÓƵ, regardless of family income, are able to attend camp.

According to Anne Benoit, Program Director for Kamp for Kids™, “We are so appreciative of the consistent and ongoing support of Westfield Bank. Over the ten years that I have been the Director of Kamp for Kids™, Westfield Bank has done everything from awarding us the Future Fund grant to providing scholarships to families in need, and collecting gently used toys or other items for the campers to use. Kamp for Kids™ is able to provide the quality experience it does, due to the generosity and connection to the community. We are proud to include Westfield Bank in the Kamp for Kids™ family.”

Kamp for Kids™, located at Camp Togowauk on Russell Road in Westfield, is for Ji8¸£ÀûÊÓƵ and young adults ages 3-22 – both with and without disabilities – that offers an opportunity to experience growth, inclusion and fun in a summer camp setting. Traditionally, Kamp for Kids™ operates every summer during July and August. Agencies and programs that routinely refer Ji8¸£ÀûÊÓƵ to the camp include the Department of Developmental Services and Autism Connections. 

Due to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health COVID-19 requirements for camps, Kamp for Kids™ operated at 40% capacity this past summer. While this meant BHN was not able to serve all the families who applied, Kamp did offer a safe and supportive summer day camp experience for many Ji8¸£ÀûÊÓƵ from the Western Massachusetts area. The Ji8¸£ÀûÊÓƵ who attended participated in recreational games to inspire physical activity, art and music projects to tap into their creativity, nature and science adventures to stimulate their learning, and communication & social skill development to expand and practice interaction. Social distancing, masks, hand washing, temperature checks, and smaller groups notwithstanding – the campers were given the Kamp for Kids™ experience to the full extent. 

Kamp for Kids™ was founded by Judy Hoyt, whose son Rick was the inspiration behind the camp. 

BHN has been providing behavioral health services to Ji8¸£ÀûÊÓƵ and families in Western Massachusetts since 1938. The agency provides community-based services that include innovative, integrated whole-health models as well as traditional clinical and outpatient and therapeutic services, day treatment, addiction services, crisis intervention and residential supports.