Camp Sunshine

Form 990-EZ, Part I, Line 16

“Costs include: website maintenance, bank charge for a returned check, insurance, organizational dues to Rotary International, & taxes/license fees. Camp Sunshine has no full time staff. Business operations are run by a volunteer board and individuals who work independently and meet periodically throughout the year. Virtually all funds collected are used to provide high quality programming for the children who attend camp and provide camperships for needy families. Our goal is that families should pay no more than they might pay for a typical child to attend a similar program, even though we must provide much more intense supervision and adult support to meet the needs of a range of children with disabilities. Camp Sunshine was started by a small group of parents of children with special needs to bridge the summer gap between school sessions. Camp provides a four week integrated program out of a single location where children with disabilities can learn and have fun together rather than requiring parents to travel to multiple locations to receive uncoordinated therapies. Over the past 13 years, camp has grown from the original 6 campers, this year serving 27 children with more significant disabilities alongside typical peers. Social skills are reinforced throughout camp so children has little or no regression when school starts in the fall. Camp Sunshine trains typical peer models who model learning for the children with disabilities but also learn how to interact with other children whose communication and movement may be very different than their own. While spending time together, the children learn that they all play and enjoy the same things; a valuable lesson for everyone. Camp is costly since many of the children have significant needs and require a high level of adult care and supervision. We pay the best teachers, and aides we can find and include willing teen volunteers. Funds are used to pay staff, but also pay for meaningful camp activities such as field trips, in house music and art and special activity visitors. Camp Sunshine was created for the children. In a world that may seem big and overwhelming, Camp Sunshine is a place where a child with a disability can find consistency, reassurance, fun and meaningful interaction with other children. We are proud to give them that opportunity.”