HOW WE WILL USE YOUR INVESTMENT
Expanding Our Professional Team.
Over the past decade, the resources and staffing required to run a successful overnight summer camp and year-round youth movement have significantly expanded due to increased regulations and safety standards, changes in camper needs and expectations, advances in technology, and increased competition. Expanding our professional staff team has become a necessity in order to adapt to these changes in the field, avoid burnout, and ensure our youth-led model can continue to thrive.
To meet this need, we have recently added a full-time Camp Director to our team in addition to our Shaliach/Educational Director from Israel. This year, we are growing our year-round team by hiring a full-time Director of Operations and part-time Development Associate.
We are also growing our seasonal support staff team to continue supporting the increased physical and mental health needs of our chanichimot and hadracha. Our summer staff now includes a Director of Community Care and an integrated health team with four members, including regulated professionals and youth leadership working in partnership.
Over the past decade, the resources and staffing required to run a successful overnight summer camp and year-round youth movement have significantly expanded due to increased regulations and safety standards, changes in camper needs and expectations, advances in technology, and increased competition. Expanding our professional staff team has become a necessity in order to adapt to these changes in the field, avoid burnout, and ensure our youth-led model can continue to thrive.
To meet this need, we have recently added a full-time Camp Director to our team in addition to our Shaliach/Educational Director from Israel. This year, we are growing our year-round team by hiring a full-time Director of Operations and part-time Development Associate.
We are also growing our seasonal support staff team to continue supporting the increased physical and mental health needs of our chanichimot and hadracha. Our summer staff now includes a Director of Community Care and an integrated health team with four members, including regulated professionals and youth leadership working in partnership.
|
Supporting Our Youth Leaders.
Jewish overnight camps across Canada and the United States experienced declining counsellor retention rates in the wake of the pandemic, with only 44% of counsellors returning to camp in 2022. This has contributed to a growing summer staffing crisis, to which Camp Shomria is not immune. Our hadracha are at the centre of our educational model - they are our greatest resource, and there is no youth movement without them. It is imperative that we invest in training and retaining our hadracha to avoid burnout and create sustainable employment opportunities within the youth movement. This year, we are increasing taksivim, introducing new year-round training activities, and funding first-aid and waterfront certifications for hadracha members. |
Toronto Hanhaga 1943
Mosh Kayitz Hanhaga 2022
|
Caring For Our Machane.
Since 1957, Camp Shomria has been operating at our site on Otty Lake, and generations of Shomrimot have built, cared for, and updated our machane to fit the changing needs of our community. Today, significant infrastructure updates are needed to ensure Camp Shomria can continue to be a beautiful and safe home for the generations to come.
Hotter summers and more frequent extreme weather events are impacting our trees. Learning tzofiut, spending time in nature, and protecting the environment are essential elements of Hashomer Hatzair’s educational model and the Camp Shomria experience. To continue these activities and act as responsible stewards of our land, we are embarking on a multi-year project to assess and care for our trees and forest.
We are working to update the outdoor lighting across our entire machane, with a focus on increasing safety, utility, and energy efficiency. Installing motion sensor lighting with solar power, wherever possible, will help us move towards operating an energy efficient site and will enable more evening outdoor activities.
Our team of support staff is continuing to expand in order to meet the evolving needs of today’s chanichimot. Over the coming years, we will build new living spaces to accommodate the additional housing needs for our support staff and their families.
Our Moshava needs a paint job! While touch ups are a part of regular maintenance, it’s time to refresh the paint on many buildings across our site. We are investing in high quality painting to protect our buildings from the elements and beautify the place that so many Shomrimot call home.
Since 1957, Camp Shomria has been operating at our site on Otty Lake, and generations of Shomrimot have built, cared for, and updated our machane to fit the changing needs of our community. Today, significant infrastructure updates are needed to ensure Camp Shomria can continue to be a beautiful and safe home for the generations to come.
Hotter summers and more frequent extreme weather events are impacting our trees. Learning tzofiut, spending time in nature, and protecting the environment are essential elements of Hashomer Hatzair’s educational model and the Camp Shomria experience. To continue these activities and act as responsible stewards of our land, we are embarking on a multi-year project to assess and care for our trees and forest.
We are working to update the outdoor lighting across our entire machane, with a focus on increasing safety, utility, and energy efficiency. Installing motion sensor lighting with solar power, wherever possible, will help us move towards operating an energy efficient site and will enable more evening outdoor activities.
Our team of support staff is continuing to expand in order to meet the evolving needs of today’s chanichimot. Over the coming years, we will build new living spaces to accommodate the additional housing needs for our support staff and their families.
Our Moshava needs a paint job! While touch ups are a part of regular maintenance, it’s time to refresh the paint on many buildings across our site. We are investing in high quality painting to protect our buildings from the elements and beautify the place that so many Shomrimot call home.
|
|
|
Reducing Financial Barriers.
Financial aid needs are on the rise across the Jewish camping sector. Jewish camps across Canada and the United States distributed approximately $37M USD in financial aid in 2022, which is 21% higher than the previous year. Last year, 46% of chanichimot at Camp Shomria received some form of financial aid, which is reflective of the fact that 40% of all campers attending Jewish overnight camps receive financial assistance.
We are committed to ensuring that Mosh remains financially accessible to all chanichimot. As the cost of camp continues to rise, we are continuing to increase the resources we devote to financial assistance in the form of both scholarships and subsidies.
Financial aid needs are on the rise across the Jewish camping sector. Jewish camps across Canada and the United States distributed approximately $37M USD in financial aid in 2022, which is 21% higher than the previous year. Last year, 46% of chanichimot at Camp Shomria received some form of financial aid, which is reflective of the fact that 40% of all campers attending Jewish overnight camps receive financial assistance.
We are committed to ensuring that Mosh remains financially accessible to all chanichimot. As the cost of camp continues to rise, we are continuing to increase the resources we devote to financial assistance in the form of both scholarships and subsidies.
Hashomer Hatzair has given my children a unique opportunity to discover who they are. Their summers of autonomy at Mosh have helped them build confidence in who they are and what they can do in the world."
- Tal Bresler Stramer, Camp Shomria Parent
