Friday, October 28, 2011

Friday's Friend: October 28th, 2011

See other posts by the Sunshine Fund on our other sites:

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Anglican Church Camp


About Anglican Church Camp
Anglican Church Camp is located in beautiful Riding Mountain National Park, on the shores of Clear Lake. The camp has many of the amenities of home (showers, flush toilets, cabins, chapel, dining hall, and recreational hall) while allowing campers to enjoy God’s creation to the fullest.

The camp’s facilities are also available for rental by user groups during the months of June, August, and September.

Once you are here you will never want to leave!

Statement of Goals
Anglican Church Camp provides children, youth and families with an opportunity to experience personal growth through fun and fellowship, and enjoy the beauty of God’s creating within a Christian camping community.

Camp Type: Residential & Family Camp
MCA Accredited: Yes
For children: Ages 8-18
Gender: Co-ed
Session Length: 7 days
Average weekly Fee: $185
Transportation: Yes

Activities:
Biking
Canoe/Kayak
Cookout
Drama
Hiking
Religion
Sports
Swimming

Contact Information:
Diocese of Brandon
Box 21009
WEPO
Brandon, MB R7B 3W8

Phone: (204) 727-7550
Fax: (204) 727-4135
Email: diobran@mts.net

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Frequently Asked Questions

At the Sunshine Fund we help hundreds of families every year who are in a financial hard spot. We also know that there are so many different situations out there and no two families are alike. That is why we have complied this Frequently Asked Questions list to help you when applying.
 

Where can I get an application?
You can get on from our website mbcamping.ca our Facebook Page Facebook.com/sunshinefundmb or you can call us and we can mail or email one to you. (204)784-1130.

How much will it cost me to send my child to camp?
Sending your child to camp through the Sunshine Fund will only cost you the parent contribution (a percentage of the camp cost based on your income). Also the Sunshine Fund only funds a maximum amount per child, so if your child's session is over that amount you will be responsible for rest.

Where do I send in my application?
When you have completed your application and have all the required documents, send it to our office. You can fax it to (204) 784-4177, email it to sunshinefund@mbcamping.ca. You can also mail your application to:
Sunshine Fund
302-960 Portage ave
Winnipeg, MB R3G 0R4



What do I need to send in with my application?
You need to send in: 
Your child's camp registration form,
Income verification (tax summary, pay stubs, or budget letter) EDIT*** you also need to supply your T1, T2125, T2042 if applicable***
Manitoba Health Card (with the child's name on it)
Parent contribution (cash, cheque, Visa or Mastercard)
A letter or drawing from your child stating why they want to go to camp


What camp is best for my child? 
The best camp for your child is the camp that fits their needs. We have almost 40 different camps so it is hard for us to choose which camp is best. If you are having a hard time deciding, pick up our camp directory and research our camps. 

What can my child expect at camp?
This depends on the camp your child goes to. Each camp has various activities your child will engage in each day. These activities can include canoeing, swimming, horseback riding, crafts among other things. The best way to know what your child can expect at camp is to contact the camp and ask about their daily schedule for your child's session.

My child has special medical needs; can they still go to camp?
Yes! Our camps are equipped to help your child with their medial needs. Each camp has a nurse on site at all times to distribute medications and anything else your child might need. To better understand how the camp can help your child with their medical needs, call the camp.

I have dietary concerns for my child while at camp, how do I sort that out?
Call the camp your child is attending, they can help you work out any dietary concerns you have for your child.

My child has never been to camp before, what is a good ‘starter’ camp?
This depends on your child. You know your child best so you will know if they are okay going for a week-long over night-camp, or if they would do better in a day camp setting. No one camp is a better 'starter' camp. Talk to your child about how they feel about going over-night, what activities they like and how far from home they want to be.


Can my child go to a non-religious camp?
Yes, if you don't want your child to go to a religious based camp they have a few options. They are Camp Wannkumbac, Camp Y, Camp Stephens, and Mini U day camp. 


Do you fund support workers?
No we do not, we only fund children under 18 years old. This means we also do not fund parents for family camps.

I just got a new job; do I still qualify for funding?
If you just got a new job after being unemployed for awhile you can possibly qualify for funding. We will need to see your current pay stubs for your new job. We base funding on your gross yearly income. This means if your new job's gross yearly income is more than our qualifications you may not be funded. If this is the case for you, submit your application and we will work with you to figure out a solution for your family.

How do I determine my income if I own my own business?
If you own your own business we will need to see a yearly breakdown of your business expenses and revenues. Each business varies, for more help call our office.

I can’t afford the parent contribution, can I still apply?
Yes you can still apply. If you can not afford your parent contribution we can work out a payment schedule that fits your budget. We will work with you to ensure your child can go to camp.

I don’t live in MB but my child wants to go to an MB camp, will you fund them?
Unfortunately no, the Sunshine Fund is for children who live in Manitoba Only. If you want to see if your province offers funding help search your local camping association.

What if I don’t have custody of my children (or have shared custody)?
If you do not have custody of your children we need the adult who does have custody to apply for the children. The adult who has custody is the person we base approval on, so we need their financial information too.

If you have shared custody and primary care and control you can apply for you child with your financial information. We might require the other adult's financial information too.

If you have shared custody but not primary care and control we will need approval from the adult with primary care and control. We might also need their financial information.

My child is also being funded for camp through another agency; can we still apply for the Sunshine Fund?
If your child is being funded by an other organization, or person they can not qualify for Sunshine Funds. We want to ensure that every Manitoba child gets the opportunity to attend summer camp. This means if we fund that child for another session, a child who does not have the chance through another agency or family can't go at all.






If you have any more questions about the Sunshine Fund, how to apply, qualifications or your financial situation please contact our office. You can call our office at (204) 784-1130, email us at sunshinefund@mbcmaping.ca or drop by to Room 302 960 Portage Ave in Winnipeg.


Friday, October 21, 2011

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Our Camps

In the previous post I mentioned our Accredited Camps. I didn't go into detail about what or who they are, but keep reading to find out now!


What is an Accredited Camp?
Camps in Manitoba have come to an agreement on standards for a safe and quality camp. Accreditation is a process where the camp is visited by an outside experienced camp operator to check whether or not the camp is using these standards. Standards checked include:
 - Staff selection, training, and supervision
- Providing a good program with safe practices for the activities offered
- Safety and quality of the site and facilities
- Caring for the health of campers


This accreditation is monitored by the Manitoba Camping Association and camps choose if they want to be accredited through the MCA.


What does Accreditation mean to the Sunshine Fund?
The Sunshine Fund will only provide funding for those children wanting to go to an Accredited Camp.


What camps are Accredited through the MCA?
Here is a list of the Accredited Residential Camps that your child could attend with financial support from the Sunshine Fund:
(a residential camp means the camp is an overnight summer camp)

Anglican Camp
B'nai Brith Camp
Bird River Bible Camp
Caddy Lake Girl Guide Camp
Calvary Temple Camp
Camp Arnes
Camp Assiniboia
Camp Cedarwood
Camp Koinonia
Camp Massad
Camp Moose Lake
Camp Nutimik
Camp Quality
Camp Wannakumbac
Camp Wasaga
Camp Y
Cdn. Diabetes Association Camp Briardale
Circle Square Ranch
CNIB
Dauphin Bible Camp
Gimli Bible Camp
Luther Village
Manitoba Pioneer Camp
Red Rock Bible Camp
Rock Lake United Church Camp
Roseau River Bible Camp
St. Malo Catholic Camp
Simonhouse Bible Camp
Tumbleweeds Ranch
Turlte Mountain Bible Camp
Wellman Lake United Church Camp
Winkler Bible Camp
YMCA/YWCA Camp Stephens



Accredited Day Camps
Assiniboine Park Zoo Camp
Mini U- University of Manitoba
Rady JCC Summer Day Camps

So these are all of the camps your child can attend with funding from the Sunshine Fund next summer. In the posts to follow I will tell you more about each of these camps so you can pick a camp that is right for your child.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The Sunshine Fund

What is the Sunshine Fund? Maybe you have heard a little bit about it but below you will find out exactly what the Sunshine Fund is.

Continue to follow our blog and you can learn about all our member camps, all our policies and why we love camp and why we want every Manitoba child to go to camp.

The Sunshine Fund
The Sunshine Fund was started by the Winnipeg Free Press and the Manitoba Camping Association (MCA). The goal was to provide the camp experience to children in Manitoba whose parent's couldn't afford to send them. Since then the Sunshine Fund has been administered by the MCA.

What does the Sunshine Fund do?

The Sunshine Fund still sends Manitoba children to Accredited Manitoba summer camps.

How does the Sunshine Fund do this?

We raise money throughout the whole year and starting in February/March we start accepting applications sent in by parents that need help.

Our application has several sections to it for us to determine if a family qualifies or not. We base our acceptance on the total family income of the family based on how many people live in the house.
 The chart above shows our income requirements from summer 2011 (please note that these numbers are subject to change for summer 2012). 

Parents are still required to pay a portion of the camp fee to the Sunshine Fund. For example, if you were to fall into Level B, you would need to pay 20% of the camp fee to the Sunshine Fund. So if your child's camp fee cost $200,  the parent contribution would be $40. (Again these percentages were for 2011 and are subject to change for 2012).

So this is a basic outline of the Sunshine Fund. I will continue to post more details about applying, what you need when applying and any other questions you might have for us. 


If you do have questions please post them in the comments section below or email our Program Coordinator Janis at sunshinefund@mbcamping.ca.

Cheers,