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Checking in with Our Grantees: Camp Jamison

Get to know Camp Jamison and hear how they’re getting Philly kids outdoors to better their wellness with a little help from their 2022 Spruce Foundation grant.

— Rachel Rosenthal, Board Treasurer, Camp Jamison

About Camp Jamison

Camp Jamison has been serving Philadelphia since 2011. Jacqueline McDonough, M.Ed. founded Camp Jamison based on the belief and research that an overnight summer camp experience can positively impact a child’s life, just as it did for her. 

Camp Jamison’s mission is to offer an overnight summer camp that’s diverse, inclusive, and, most importantly, affordable! For kids growing up in a city with so many challenges, Camp Jamison offers a much-needed escape and reset – a fun, relaxing, and reflective week full of activities designed to strengthen children’s mental and physical wellness, and peace-building skills to empower them to become community leaders back home in their Philly neighborhoods.

Our Impact

In 2022, 94% of campers said Camp Jamison allowed them to try something new – such as getting more outdoor time. Camp Jamison knows it’s essential to get outside and unplug. Camp Jamison is a tech-free camp! When asked about their experience as a camper and now a counselor at Camp Jamison, Sincere Jackson wrote, “Camp Jamison impacted me the most by showing me why life is so beautiful. As a kid growing up, I never appreciated the world, since I was tuned in to watching cartoons and playing video games almost every day. When I went to Camp Jamison for the first time, it opened my eyes to a beautiful world I was blind from. So, I’m very thankful I received that experience for 3+ years.”

How The Spruce Foundation Helped

In 2022, the $5,000 grant from the Spruce Foundation was critical in helping us achieve our goal of offering in-person training for our 14 young adult staff! This also led to us adding a Junior Board member to our Board of Directors. We are so grateful for your support!

Where We’re Going

Camp Jamison 2023 will be held in July, and registration is open until May 1, 2023. We are still looking for great campers and staff to join our Camp Jamison family. The Board Members have been hard at work planning for our Camp Jamison Bowling Bash – a fundraiser for Camp Jamison happening on May 20, 2023, at Pike Lanes in Southampton, PA.   

Again, we are beyond grateful for the support that the Spruce Foundation provided; without the Spruce Foundation, we would not have been able to have had such a successful summer session in 2022. 

Want to support the Spruce Foundation in our efforts to provide grants to youth-serving nonprofits? Make a donation today.