Providing camp experiences for children and youth across Waterloo Region
The Waterloo Region Record - Lyle S. Hallman Foundation Kids to Camp Fund, held at Waterloo Region Community Foundation, provides grants to camps enabling children and youth who reside in Waterloo Region and need financial assistance to attend camp. Since 2014, $1.5 Million has been distributed through the fund to support kids in Cambridge, Kitchener, North Dumfries, Waterloo, Wellesley, Wilmot, and Woolwich in having a camping experience.
Here are two examples of organizations that were supported through The Kids to Camp Fund in 2023:
'LIFE-ALTERING EXPERIENCE': Fiddlesticks empowering youth with camping experiences
For many, the camp experience is a memorable part of childhood and youth.
It’s where new friendships are established, new skills are learned and lifelong memories are made.
Unfortunately, for some families facing financial burdens, sending a child to camp is also a pipe dream, out of reach due to the associated costs.
Fiddlesticks Community Centre in Cambridge specializes in camps for children of all ages. And, with the help of The Waterloo Region Record – Lyle S. Hallman Foundation Kids to Camp Fund held at Waterloo Region Community Foundation, no child is being turned away from Fiddlesticks programs.
The fund provides grants to camps, enabling children and youth who reside in the region the necessary financial means to participate.
“I think people underestimate the importance of a child attending camp. It is a life-altering experience for them (with) the memories that they create there,” Fiddlesticks Executive Director Kim Fowler said.
Founded in 1992, Fiddlesticks services a specific neighbourhood in Cambridge geographically bounded by Pinebush Road, Townline Road, Clyde Road, and Franklin Boulevard.
It offers year-round programs for all ages with a primary focus on youth and youth leadership development. Its camps are at the heartbeat of what it does.
Four different summer camps are offered, including age-specific day camps for those between 4-13, and a weeklong overnight camp at Brant Conservation Area called [lead] which is an acronym for Leadership Excellence Asset Development.
Thanks to this additional funding, Fiddlesticks was able to provide financial subsidies for 25 individuals in 2023, ensuring the door remained open for all who wished to attend.
“If we didn’t have those funds, we would have to draw funds from other areas of our camp budget to ensure everyone could participate, and this would have a negative impact on everyone’s overall camp experience,” Fowler said.
For more information about Fiddlesticks Community Centre, visit fiddlesticks.ca.
To learn more about The Waterloo Region Record – Lyle S. Hallman Foundation Kids to Camp Fund, visit wrcf.ca/kidstocamp.
INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY: Muslim Social Services Waterloo Region summer camp provides ‘safe space’ free of barriers
For 16 years, Muslim Social Services Waterloo Region has been offering spiritually and culturally sensitive humanitarian and social services to the Muslim and non-Muslim communities of the region.
The non-profit organization offers an array of programs aimed at fostering inclusion and a sense of belonging with the intent to build resilient communities.
“We create these programs according to the needs in the community,” MSS Executive Director Duaa Al-Aghar said.
One such need was to establish a summer camp that, while open to one and all, would be specifically tailored for the children of refugees, low-income families and newcomers to Waterloo Region.
MSS’ Intercultural Summer Day Camp is a camp offered to children as young as five years old and up to 14 years old. Educational and fun activities have included painting, pizza-making, field trips, and sports such as swimming and volleyball, often in outdoor settings such as community parks.
It has been made possible thanks to The Waterloo Region Record – Lyle S. Hallman Foundation Kids to Camp Fund, held at Waterloo Region Community Foundation, which provides grants to camps, enabling children and youth who reside in the region the necessary financial means to participate.
With the financial help of this fund, families could access full and partial subsidies, making the camp financially attainable.
“With everything we just tried to be inclusive and diverse,” said Yasmin Ali, Program Facilitator. “We were aware that when we went to the swimming pool that meant not everyone could go in. So, we made sure at that swimming pool there’s still a park – there’s a volleyball net. You can still go there. Those were important factors to keep in mind.”
For more information about Muslim Social Services Waterloo Region, visit muslimsocialserviceskw.org.
To learn more about the Waterloo Region Record – Lyle S. Hallman Foundation Kids to Camp Fund, visit wrcf.ca/kidstocamp.
