May Camper Update

May has just flown by here at the Sunshine Fund office! Applications are coming in just as fast as we can place kids at camp.

These are our placement numbers to date:
Placed Kids: 299
Kids waiting to be placed: 75
Cost of placed kids: $109,262.51

These number are a bit ahead of where we were this time last year, which is great! Our goal is always to place as many kids at camp as we can each summer. However, this comes with challenges as well, the biggest one being our donations.

Right now our average cost per camper is $365.43 so if we want to place 1000 kids we would need $365,430 in donations, which would be more than we've ever received in one summer.

We are also gearing up to start our donor campaign which will get us very close to that donation mark. So if you are looking to hold a workplace fundraiser or just wanting to help us out this summer call 784-1130 and we can work with you to send kids to summer camp.

From all of us at the Sunshine Fund office we hope you have a wonderful and safe May Long Weekend!

Camp is Coming!

I know, it's only January and summer seems so far away. Well, it's not! Summer is creeping up and we are getting ready for it here at the Sunshine Fund. We are working on getting our 2012 applications ready so you can start applying and get the spot you want for your children.

While you wait for us to get our application ready, you can start getting all your documents ready too. This will make your application process go faster and seamlessly.


What we need you to send in:
1. Camp Application
We need you to send in a completed camp application with your Sunshine Fund application so we can hold that spot at the camp for your child.

2. Income Verification
Income verification means we need your 2011 Income Tax statement. We need Line 150 we we can verify your total income. If you do not have your 2011 Income Tax statement back by the time you wish to apply please call our office for other options of verification. Our phone number is 204-784-1130.

3. Manitoba Health Card
We need a copy of your MB Health Card to verify that you and your child are both residents of Manitoba and to confirm how many people live at the same address as you. 

4. Parent Contribution
We do not have the new chart for the 2012 parent application so this part will have to wait until our applications come out.


5. Letter
We would love it if you and your child sat down and wrote us a letter saying why they want to go to camp and if they have been before why they love going to camp. We love to share these letters with the donors of the Sunshine Fund (all while keeping the identity of the child and family anonymous.) to increase our donations and to show everyone the real impact the Sunshine Fund has.

So this is what you need to apply for funding. If you have any questions please call our office, we are open Monday to Friday 9-4:30pm.

Also please note that our 2012 application will be available for download on our website mbcamping.ca and if you applied last year we will send you one by the end of January. If you did not apply last year please call us with your mailing address.

204-784-1130

Camp Fire Stories: A counselor's point of view

Counselor: Heidi Peters

 

Camp History:

She has worked at Winkler Bible Camp for 7 summers, 3 springs, 1 year all year round, and went to Bible School there for another one year.

I've been a Jr. Counselor, Sr. Counselor, Lifeguard, Cross View Assistant Director, and Cross View Director. Cross View is one of our two sites at WBC.

What Heidi has to say about Camp:
 
"Camp, well to say it short and sweet, camp changed my life!

Camp is a place where children and staff are safe. They have the opportunities of a lifetime and I believe not enough children in our world get to experience camp. Camp is where children can learn to have fun, try new activities, make friends, and learn about God! I have worked at camp for seven summers and I would never trade any of those summers to work anywhere else. I love working at camp! Seeing the children's faces when they come back from an activity, or when they have learned something new about God, cannot be put into words. Camp changes children's lives forever! I know some of our staff at camp would not be where they are spiritually if it were not for camp. I would not be where I am today if it were not for camp.


I have learned so much at camp. I have learned how to teach others about God, I have made lifelong friends, and I have learned how to have a real conversation with God. I really cannot put into words what camp has done for me. It has been so much a part of my life. Although I have learned so many things at camp, camp has not always been easy for me. I have had to learn how to deal with misbehaving children, which has taught me patience and I have had to deal with situations that I never thought were possible. Camp was not always easy for me, but I would not trade it for anything! I have learned so many lifelong morals and skills through camp.

I love camp! I love the children, I love the staff, I love the activities, and most of all I love God! Seeing the children's faces running through the playing field, swimming in the lake, or just hanging out in their cabin makes me love my job. I also love seeing the campers grow up and become counselors and seeing their relationships with each other. I remember seeing a female camper at camp and wondering why she was at camp; it seemed she was there just for the boys. However, as the years went by she became a counselor and today I would say she is one our most mature female counselors we have.

My favourite part about camp is when I get to hear of campers that made their first time commitments to asking Jesus to become their personal Saviour. It makes me so excited just thinking of it. Just to think that because campers have the opportunity to go to camp, I will one day see them again and they can live eternally in Heaven with God.

Another huge highlight for me is seeing the campers connecting with their counselors. They look up to them so much. I know some of the campers go back to broken homes and I can only hope that those couple days at camp can show them that they are loved, even if they do not see that at home.

I am not sure what your background looks like, I am not sure what you have done, but I know camp can make a difference in a child’s life.

Thank you so much for everyone who has helped a child go to camp and if you have not had that opportunity, just talk to a child who has gone to camp and ask them about their experiences; ask them if they would like to go again."
 

Friday's Friend: December 2nd, 2011

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Friday's Friend: November 25th, 2011

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Why Camp?

Here at the Sunshine Fund and Manitoba Camping Association, we believe every child should have the opportunity to attend summer camp. We believe in it so much we raise money from private donors to make sure kids who want to go but can't afford it get that chance.

So why should your child experience summer camp? There are many reasons, let me tell you some:

1. Getting to experience nature

Photo Source

Most of the children that go to summer camps are from urban centers, they don't get to experience lakes, canoeing, forests and other aspects of nature unless they go to a camp.

At many camps, children get the chance to swim in a lake, or go canoeing, and some camps have nature instruction. Kids can learn about nature first hand  by going on nature walks or living on an island for a week.

Also, let's face it, being in nature and outside can be a whole lot better than sitting inside on the couch playing video games. 


2. Gain confidence and independence

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Kids can learn to be more independent from their parents while at camp in many ways. First of all they are sleeping away from home for a week. This can often cause homesickness for a day or two but then the child learns that it's okay and safe to sleep away from home.

While at camp kids will also experience activities they have never done before. By participating in these activities kids will grow confident in their own abilities and strength. This can often carry on in other areas of their life such as school and home life.

3. Learn new skills

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Like I said above, at camp kids will try new activities. These activities can initiate new skills that a child never knew they had or wanted to pursue. For example maybe a child learns they really enjoy swimming and want to join a swim team. Or their cabin did a dance at the camp talent show and your child really took to it fast.Your child could have also recited a poem or verse for their cabin and discovered they love public speaking or that it wasn't as hard as they thought.

There are so many skills your child can learn at camp.

Your child can benefit in many ways by going to camp, this is why we want them to go. 

May 21, 2008 is Sunshine Day

On May 21, 2008, the Winnipeg Free Press Sunshine Fund, in partnership with A&W, will have it’s very first Sunshine Day in Manitoba. All the proceeds from the sale of A&W Root Beer and Coffee will be donated to the Sunshine Fund to help send Manitoba Children to Manitoba Accredited Camps.

In addition, you can also help send a child to camp by purchasing a Ray of Sunshine from A&W Restaurants for only $1 between May 12-21. Fill your name out on a Yellow Sun and help send a child to camp. This sun will be added to the walls of the Restaurant.

This will be happening at all A&W locations in Winnipeg, Selkirk, Lockport, Portage & Steinbach.

PS - Did you know that Manitoba is the only province in the country to have a "Sunshine Fund?" Founded in 1979 and thanks to the generous donations of Manitobans the fund has raised nearly $4.0 million dollars and sent more than 18,000 kids to camp.

MCA To Attend Weekend Exhibit Fairs

The MCA & Sunshine Fund will be setting up a display booth at the Portage Home, Leisure & Sport Expo event this Friday (6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.) & Saturday (9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.) at the Portage Canad Inn Warehouse.

On Sunday, we will be attending the 2007 Winnipeg Parent Family Fun & Learning Fair. This will be held from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. at the Assiniboine Park Conservatory.

Come check out all the action, pick up your 2007 Camp Directory, or obtain information on the Sunshine Fund.

2006 Stats

In 2006 the Sunshine Fund did the following:

• Placed 569 children in 26 different camps
  
• of those 569 children 245 or 43.06% were new to the Sunshine Fund
  
• paid out $173,000.00 in camperhips
  

Let's see if we can't top those numbers in the 2007 season!

Sunshine Fund gets a blog.

This is the new home of the Manitoba Camping Association/Winnipeg Free Press Sunshine Fund Blog.

The Sunshine Fund enables Manitoba children who do not have the financial means through parents, guardians or agencies, an opportunity to attend an accredited Manitoba summer camp.

The Sunshine Fund is administered by the Manitoba Camping Association with publicity sponsorship from the Winnipeg Free Press. 100% of donations are used directly for payment of camp fees.

Since 1979 over 3 million dollars has been raised to provide over 14,000 summer camp experiences.