This last year provided more challenges for organizations serving communities while facing health restrictions. Camp Rosenbaum was extremely hopeful early in the year that we would be able to host our 50th camp in the summer of 2021, but with COVID and the Delta variant, our medical team and Board of Directors made the smart, yet tough decision to hold off one more year.
Despite not being able to host our annual overnight camp at the Oregon Coast, Camp Rosenbaum was able to sponsor children from low-income housing to attend week-long day camps camp in their area. Camp Rosenbaum sponsored 100 campers through the Portland Parks & Rec Nature Day Camp, 4 campers were sponsored through the Salvation Army Day Camp in Marion County, and 4 campers sponsored through McMinnville Parks & Rec, in partnership with Yamhill County Housing Authority.
Camp Rosenbaum also worked with five housing authorities (Home Forward, Yamhill County, Marion County, Vancouver, and Lane County) in August and September to hand out books, snacks, blankets and a bead animal craft kit at their National Night Out and Community Night events through our “Camp Rosenbaum on the Road” program. We were able to serve roughly 450 children through these events!
This year, Camp Rosenbaum was also able to partner again with the Sunshine Division and help sponsor Shop with a Cop, which happened on Wednesday, August 25th, 2021, at the Wood Village Fred Meyers in Gresham, Oregon. Each kid was paired with a law enforcement officer and a volunteer and was given $200 to spend on shoes and clothes in order to prepare for the upcoming school year. We had 6 volunteers that participated and we helped serve 200 low-income children that day!
Although we were hoping for a different outcome this year, we couldn’t have served over 750 children without our incredible donors and those who participated in our Game Show Gala and Golf Tournament fundraisers. Once again, we are honored that during such an unusual time in our lives, we were still able to come together and support low-income children in our community with the different summer programs.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your role in helping Camp Rosenbaum have such a successful 2021 and make the summer all about the kids!