It’s that time of year again – Last Bell’s staff is planning our summer camp retreats!
In the past, our young people have been very outspoken about how much they learn from our retreats. These are not traditional summer camps for children, but retreats for young adults, many of whom are in our Stop the Cycle program and have children of their own. They look forward to our retreats as opportunities to learn, grow, and see positive family relationships modeled day after day.
You can read some of the responses to last year’s Stop the Cycle camp here, on our blog:
Stop the Cycle Retreat in Moms’ Own Words
You can also read our special camp report from last year. Camps are one of our best opportunities to bring orphan dads into the Last Bell community, and our young families often see big changes in their family dynamics after spending a week together with supportive Last Bell staff.
Special Update: Camps Change Families’ Lives — Report on 2015 Camp Retreats
With your help, we’re making this special week happen for even more young people in 2016!
Funds donated toward camps provide for transportation, food, housing at retreat centers (we look for discounts and Christian facilities), and some special activities. Young people and families will spend time outside, hiking and enjoying nature; in meetings learning from Last Bell staff and guest speakers; and in daily retreat tasks, working side-by-side with staff to build campfires or provide meals. We provide crafts for all the children, and the Stop the Cycle moms also enjoy an adult craft time.
Long-term, your funds lead directly to the positive changes we see throughout the year as a result of this special week.
We have the amazing opportunity to provide retreats for four different groups this year. Including staff and volunteers, we’ll have retreats for almost 200 people! Our retreat breakdown is as follows:
- Stop the Cycle retreat for older group, July 22nd – 29th , 80 people
- Stop the Cycle retreat for younger group, August 27th – 31st, 50 people
- Educational Outreach retreat, 50 people
- Shelter retreat, 15 people
On average, it will only cost $14/day or $82/person to send a young person to a camp retreat; all together our summer camps total $16,000.
Would you consider giving…
- $14 to cover a day of camp for one person?
- $82 for a single young person to attend?
- $328 for a family of four to attend?
- $820 for ten young people to attend?
Click here to make a one-time donation:
If you’d like to help us provide crafts, please contact us!
“When you give to the poor, it is like lending to the Lord, and the Lord will pay you back” (Proverbs 19:17).
Remember, every dollar really stretches in Ukraine. $82 covers transportation, food, lodging, and activities for one person for six days!
Thank you for offering your prayers and gifts to help our young people find hope and new life. Last Bell’s youth are changing the future of this post-Soviet community.