Camp Matters 4th Quarter, 2016

Children’s Association for Maximum Potential 4th Quarter, 2016

Santa Claus Comes to CAMP!

CAMP Links Camper Respite Club Calendar Volunteer Respite Club Calendar

Santa Claus Comes to CAMP

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More Than a CAMP… A Lot More!

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Alumni Skip the Malls to Serve

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Scoop Summer Applications & Gifts of the Season

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Sarah Coulombe Talks About Volunteers

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CAMP’s Website Gets a Re-Boot

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Tribute Gifts

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Monthly Giving

CAMP Wish List CAMP’s mission is to strengthen and inspire individuals with special needs - and those who care for them - through Recreation, Respite, and Education.

CAMP Board of Directors President Mike Zerda Vice President Robert Kyle Garetson Secretary Dr. Toni Hill Vice Secretary Dana Fox Treasurer Jean Margargee Vice Treasurer Dr. Azreena Thomas Julie Allen Ken McConnell Mario Dominguez Keith Holloway Ed Kreusel Lee Matecko Dr. Alycia Maurer Jill Rosenthal Executive Director Susan Osborne

CAMP Advisory Committee Julianne Bass Jamie Fox Selena Frost Elena Guajardo Janessa Manning Dr. Fred McCurdy Anton Montano Jim Pennekamp Richard A. Ramirez Dr. Madeleine Reichert Chuck Smith Fred Swaney Dr. Phyllis Thompson Vanessa Vance

Staff Directory

CAMP CFC #25279

#225

A Message from CAMP’s Executive Director Dear Friends,

Mark Your Calendar Monthly Giving Because….

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! We are so grateful for YOU, our friends who share your Time, Talent, Treasure, and Trust to strengthen and inspire individuals with special needs and those who care for them.

In this issue of CAMP Matters learn about the critical improvements coming next year as we launched “More Than a CAMP” capital campaign, prepare for Summer 2017 Program Applications, and share the many ways that YOU make CAMP Possible!

Our wish for you this holiday, is that you are surrounded by the people who mean the most to you as you celebrate the season.

Working Together to Improve Life

Happy Holidays, Support CAMP when YOU Shop!

Connect With CAMP @

Santa Claus Santa made two visits to CAMP this month to bring our Campers some extra holiday cheer! Everyone must have been especially good because Santa checked the ”Nice List” twice and every Camper name was on was on it.

Campers at Parent’s Night Out (below)

on Friday, December 2nd, met Santa and enjoyed Polar Animal activities.

Santa brought a gift to all the Campers.

He even snacked on cookies and milk before returning to the North Pole.

But that’s not all, Santa made a second visit during Weekend Respite on Sunday,

Comes to CAMP December 11th (below). Each Camper received exactly what was on their wish list because each gift was hand selected by the special elves who accompanied Santa on his visit. It was a magical day!

“You know, this is the busiest time of the year for Santa,” said CAMP Director,

Ben Elble, “but he always makes time to come to CAMP. That’s because Santa loves Campers as much as we do!”

Santa was heard exclaiming, “Ho, ho, ho!” as his sleigh and reindeer headed back to the North Pole. (Check our Facebook page for more photos.)

ensure CAMP is here for generations to come.

For 37 years Children’s Association for Maximum Potential has been a magical place for so many of us. The CAMP Board of Directors is happy to announce the kickoff of More Than a CAMP, a capital campaign to fund construction of a new Health Care Center, a new Camper Cabin, and a new Arts and Crafts Pavilion.

“We are so excited about what these improvements mean for our campers, healthcare staff, and volunteers,” said Executive Director, Susan Osborne.

The More Than a CAMP building project is a huge undertaking, but with YOUR support we will meet the challenge and

We hope YOU will consider giving a one time gift or make a monthly commitment to help fund these improvements. Our Campers are depending on all of us.

Call the CAMP office at (210) 671-5411 to schedule your personal tour and find out for yourself why we are More Than a

CAMP...A Lot MORE! CAMP Capital Campaign Committee members include: Dr. Madeleine RichertZachary, Co-Chair, Julie Allen, Co-Chair, Dr. Toni Hill, Ken McConnell, Michael Zerda, Executive Director, Susan Osborne and Chief Development Officer, Laura Leach.

Pictured Below: New CAMP Health Care Center The 9,272 square foot center will feature 4 isolation rooms, 2 exam rooms, a nurses’ station, a climate controlled training space, accessible restrooms, and space to dispense over 25,000 doses of medication every summer.

Pictured Above: The New CAMP Arts & Crafts Pavilion: The 3,082 square foot center will feature a climate controlled space, 2 accessible bathrooms, ample storage for supplies, windows for natural light, a kiln room for ceramics, and up to 4 additional program rooms.

Pictured Below: The New Camper Cabin: The 8,292 square foot cabin will feature 8 overly accessible toilets, 6 overly accessible shower stalls and 1 tub shower, space for Camper medical equipment and storage, abundant outlets to meet critical electrical needs, year round and seasonal staff housing on the second floor, and laundry facilities.

Alumni Skip the Thanksgiving: Check.

Black Friday: Check.

Alumni Work Weekend: Check!

Two BIG Projects Complete: Check!

Thanks to a group of 21 Alumni and family members, CAMP has checked a few projects off of our To Do List.

This generous, hard working group started working in the current Arts and Crafts Pavilion. (pictured below) They cleaned out and reorganized the storage closet and used scrub brushes and a power washer to give the outer pavilion a facelift. After a hearty lunch, they moved on to the kitchen pantry where they patched

Pictured above are: (top left) FSP Administrative Support Chris Gill; (top right) Perla Diaz, Shelby Williams, & Amanda Kyle; (center right) Shelby Williams, Gema; (center) Fabian Serna; (center right) Adriana, Nevaeh, Alex Sego, Shelby Williams, Shane Williams, Ben Elble, & Fabian; (bottom left) Zoey, Olivia, Aurelius, Alizah, Gema, & Perla Diaz; (bottom right) Shane Williams gives the job a thumbs up.

Malls to Serve and painted the walls, built new shelves, assembled carts, and reorganized the dry goods to make food storage and preparation more user friendly and accessible. (below) A huge THANK YOU to the Alumni and their families who participated in this productive weekend.

We can’t thank you enough and we’re

looking forward to the next one!

Would you like to take part in an Alumni Work Weekend? Mark your calendar for the next event on April 8-9, that coincides with the April Respite Weekend for Campers.

We’ll see YOU there!

More Volunteer Opportunities

Pictured are: (top left) Joseph Serna, Joey McCormick, & Ken Kaiser; (top right) Shane Williams, Ken Kaiser, & Paul Williams, (center left) Perla Diaz, & Angeles; (center) Daryl Kyle; (center right) Joseph McCormick, (bottom left) the completed kitchen pantry project ; (bottom right) Chris Gill.

Scoop Summer Application

By Michelle Elble, Director of Family Support Programs

It’s hard to believe that Summer Camp is just around the corner! But it’s true, and Camper Applications go live on our website in February.

Some families check the website daily to get a jump on their Camper’s application. But YOU don’t have to, because we’ll send an email alert including a link to the application, along with helpful information about the application process, directly to your inbox.

To receive an email alert when the CAMP application opens, click here, register your name and email address, then check the box that says “Interest in Summer CAMP”.

Help YOUR Camper make this face...sign up for CAMP Application Email TODAY!

More information about Summer Camp can be found on our website, at www.campcamp.org.

Gifts of the Season

By Assistant Camp Director, Alex Sego

As the first noticeable cold front of the season rolled in, my mind drifted to soups, hot cocoa, and warm sweaters, and the little voice in the back of my head whispered, “Christmas is c o m i n g .”

With the holiday season quickly racing by, we are prompted to take a step back, count our blessings, and we’re encouraged to give back, to invest in others.

When you make a financial gift to CAMP this holiday season, we are grateful for your generosity. If you’re like me and enjoy shopping, you might consider looking at CAMP’s Wish List, which includes items that add value to our programs, for gift ideas.

Some of these items, like shaving cream and nail polish, are things

we use all the time and in large quantities. Some are things, like Beamz, we would love to have, however aren't critical to our, program needs. Still others fall into the category of, “If we had more, Home Depot Gift Cards (for example) we could check more projects off of our To Do List.” All of these items are things that will further our programs and benefit the campers we serve.

Sarah Coulombe Talks about CAMP Volunteers Interviewed by Beth Dietert, Marketing and Development Associate

At CAMP we are so grateful for the over 1,100 volunteers who give of their time and talent each year to strengthen and inspire our Campers and their families to reach their Maximum Potential. Development Associate, Beth Dietert, took time out to talk with Sarah Coulombe, Administrative Director about CAMP Volunteers and here’s what she had to say...

Beth: What keeps Volunteers coming back to CAMP year after year?

Sarah: Our volunteers are passionate about our mission, “to strengthen and inspire individuals with special needs,” and to help our Campers reach their “maximum potential”. It’s that passion that draws volunteers from all over the country to come to CAMP. The enthusiasm and talent they bring with them is truly inspiring.

Beth: It’s easy to see how immediate rewards, like friendship and joy, can motivate volunteers to serve in the short term, but what are the long term benefits for volunteers?

Beth: What characteristics do all CAMP volunteers possess?

Sarah: It takes a special person to be a CAMP volunteer. That amazing person needs to be compassionate, smart, fun, patient, and loving. We are fortunate to have so many incredible volunteers who donate their afternoons, evenings, weekends, spring breaks, and summers to serve our Campers, to be a friend, a mentor, and a champion.

Sarah: Most individuals who volunteer at CAMP are young adults who are still shaping their career paths. CAMP exposes them to career opportunities that they may have never otherwise considered. Many CAMP volunteers go on to become Doctors, Nurses, Respiratory or Physical Therapists, Lawyers, Special Education Teachers, and Camping Professionals because of the positive connections they have made with Campers and their families.

In this way, the rewards associated with volunteering are life changing.

Beth: Talk about what makes CAMP a unique opportunity for Volunteers.

Sarah: At CAMP, we provide opportunities for volunteers to gain perspective and appreciation for individuals with special needs and their caregivers. The joy and fulfillment volunteers experience when they take part in helping a Camper accomplish something new is an intrinsic reward. That is to say, the feeling volunteers experience when they make a difference builds their self-confidence and self-esteem.

For more information about how to get involved in CAMP’s volunteer programs, please visit our website at www.campcamp.org or email Sarah at sarah.coulombe@campcamp.org.

Thank-you to the USAA Volunteers for helping with work projects at CAMP’s Executive Office.

YOU make CAMP possible!

CAMP’s Website Gets a Re-Boot CAMP’s website is getting a re-boot, thanks to a grant received through the San Antonio Area Foundation! Our new website will have a more modern, fresher feel, while providing an optimal browsing experience. Visitors will be able to browse our website on their computer, tablet or mobile device thanks to its fully responsive design.

“We know how frustrating it can be when you are unable to easily browse websites on your cell phone or tablet.

This new site will truly meet the needs of our camper families, volunteers, and donors. We are grateful for this gift the San Antonio Area Foundation has given us.”

Additional features will include a virtual tour of CAMP, integrated Facebook updates, peer-to-peer fundraising, and an event calendar for both campers and volunteers, providing information on upcoming respite events and volunteer opportunities.

“Access to information and ease of use is our number one priority,” said Susan Osborne, CAMP’s Executive Director.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates as we get closer to our launch date.

Click here to start today!

Click here to start Monthly Giving today!

Tribute Gifts SHIRLEY ADAMEK John and Jodell Wright

MEGHAN HILL Ron and Alicia Thomas

COLLINS ALLEN Andy and Julie Allen

IAN HINKLE Martha Hinnenkamp

GARRET BARTSCH Jackie Miscevich MARY ROSE BLASS Alison Blass ANNIE BIONDI Mr. Clark Smith CHRISTY BROWN Ron and Phebe Brown GEORGIA BUDJENSKA Donna Budjenska HILLARY CLINTON Elizabeth Swize

HARRIET KAY Regina C. Anderson Anonymous donor Elinor and Dick Drileck Dick and Ruthie Wuzburg

ROBERT A. DE LEMOS Dr. Fred A. McCurdy

SALLY LABAY Mr. Wade Labay

NICOLAS GAMMAGE Alison Blass

DR. MADELEINE REICHERT-ZACHARY David and Caludia Ladensohn MEREDITH JAY SCOTT Jaye Mandt COLE TOLSON Margaret Corbin Mike and Lisa Elrod Mark Hyultquist RHETT URBAN Paul Urban

YOU matter to us! Have you moved recently? Do you need to update your records? Would you like to speak with someone in the development office?

Contact Lauren Weiss (210) 671-6002 lauren.weiss@campcamp.org

Lackland AFB CAMP Executive Offices

Center Point Camp CAMP Facility

Please send all Camper & volunteer paperwork or donations here.

Please send mail & faxes here only when your Camper, Volunteer, or Staff Member is at CAMP.

Mailing Address:

Mailing Address:

PO Box 27086 San Antonio, TX 78227

PO Box 999 Center Point, TX 78010

Physical Address:

Physical Address:

2525 Ladd Street Lackland AFB, TX 78236

515 Skyline Drive Center Point, TX 78010

Tel: (210) 671-5411 Fax: (210) 671-5225

Tel: (830) 634-2267 Fax: (210) 858-8035

campmail@campcamp.org