June 9, 2020
As you know, our March, June, and July camps were cancelled or postponed. We are deeply missing our usual summer camp preparations but we are soaking up every second we have the chance to bring a smile to a camper through handwritten notes, yard sign deliveries, programming videos, and weekly Zoom gatherings. We’re doing our darnedest to make some pretty amazing lemonade with the lemons our nation continues to be handed. I couldn’t be more proud of our sweet staff. They’re planning and unplanning and replanning, and planning and unplanning and replanning… all while remaining positive, encouraging, and impressive as can be.
As we get closer and closer to the overnight camps we have scheduled for 2020, we wanted to communicate our thoughts and our actions toward preparing for utmost safety. More than anything, we want to be together at Camp Encourage. However, we will not proceed if we feel it is not safe to do so. Our campers, volunteers, and staff are our greatest treasures.
We continue to closely monitor updates from state and county officials and the CDC. Further, the American Camp Association (ACA) has been a tremendous resource which we are grateful for. They have worked with health and camp professionals to keep an updated guide which can be found HERE.
We know it is hard to plan during this season of uncertainty. Thus, we continue to move forward with a variety of contingency plans. As of today, we are planning to hold four two day, one-night Overnight camp sessions as follows (three of which were added due to the prior 2020 cancellations):
- August 8-9
- October 17-18
- November 21-22
- December 29-30
With the guidance of the above agencies, professionals, and organizations, we have developed a Prevention Plan which can be found HERE. The plan will be adjusted as new information is and recommendations are released.
We encourage you to register to attend one or all of the above camp sessions. To do so, visit https://www.campencourage.org/forms-application-deadlines/. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Program Coordinator, Aimee Gorrow at agorrow@campencourage.org.
Should it not be deemed safe to gather with the preventative measures in place, we will continue to provide virtual programming and may add small, in-person gatherings that allow for social distance yet provide the joy, connections, and growth our campers deserve and presently need. Our mission will still be present in the hearts of those we love and serve.
If you register your camper for a 2020 camp session that is later canceled due to COVID-19, please know that you will not face cancelation fees, and any tuition payments you make toward that session will be refunded.
Please reach out to us if you have any questions regarding this update. We are deeply appreciative of everyone’s support, encouragement, and wisdom during this never-faced-before situation and we look forward to the day we are all able to gather side by side. Until then, take good care of you and yours!
Kelly Lee, Executive Director
