CampLife! is a charity whose mission is to help families that have lost a parent to the Iraq war. Today we are interviewing John Gillis, Jr.. He is the the founder and president of CampLIFE!
John, How did charity start?
I enjoyed attending summer camp as a child, and believes that these activities contribute to self-confidence, relationship skills and overall health. I founded CampLIFE! to provide the camping experience to those who would not normally have that opportunity.
More than 10 million children attend camp annually, from recreational opportunities to the more complex theme camps that serve various groups of children with special needs. Any child can benefit from the summer camp experience, with children who share some profound loss benefiting even more. Unfortunately, with fees beginning at $200-$400/week, residential camps are unaffordable for many of the children that could benefit the most.
When was CampLife! founded? Can you tell me a bit more about it?
CampLIFE! was established in 2002 to provide a free camping experience to selected groups of children that might not otherwise have access to a camping experience. Through summer activities such as water skiing, sailing, canoeing, archery, teambuilding and swimming our campers:
- Build self-esteem
- Learn new activities & skills
- Interact and build relationships with others who have a shared experience
- Reward positive behavior
- Become exposed to outdoor experiences
- Benefit from personal attention from caring adults
Our first four summers we partnered with the Methodist Children’s Home in Waco, where we attempted to give their children opportunities they otherwise would not have had. In addition, participation in our camp was an incentive to their students to maintain positive behavior during the school year.
In 2006, we began a partnership with HUGSS (Helping Unite Gold Star Survivors), based out of Ft. Hood in Killeen, Texas, whose mission is to help families that have lost a parent to the Iraq War. Our camp offered an escape for fun and active learning, and in 2007 we will incorporate a grief counseling program also. CampLIFE! is based in Austin, TX. Ski ‘n Scats, the camp that donates their camp facilities, is in Eustace, TX (near Athens). Counselors come from all over Texas, and some from other states.
What makes your charity unique from others who serve these families?
We differentiate from the majority of charities in that we are totally volunteer-driven – almost all of our fundraising efforts go straight to the program, with very minimal administrative overhead.
CAMPLife! maintain a very healthy camper to counselor ratio, with the intended purpose of giving each camper an abundance of attention. This attention, given through our activities, serves as a vehicle to increase self-confidence and build personal relationships. These culminate in creating an atmosphere where sharing and counseling are more open and successful. Because all counselors donate their time, this high ratio does not result in increased salary cost.
How many families has CampLife! served to date?
To date, CampLIFE! has given the camping experience to over 100 deserving children. Last year, due to a limited HUGSS communication process and a conflict with the Killeen school schedule, attendance was down. However, the camp was a huge success for the campers who were there, and HUGSS has asked if we could expand our services to more servicemen’s families this year, when they have a vastly improved communication process and we are able to schedule camp around conflicting with the school calendar.
What impact have you made this year?
Our campers are children whose ages range from 6 through 18 whose parents’ were killed in the Iraqi war, as well as their surviving parent if they choose to attend. We are committed to our association with HUGSS, thus, our campers are currently coming primarily from the Killeen-Fort Hood area. HUGSS is in the process of expanding to Dallas, San Antonio and other areas outside of Ft. Hood, but the overwhelming majority is from Killeen.
Are there any projects that people can help out with?
We need young, energetic, volunteer counselors.
Where would they sign up?
Email Communications@camp-life.org if interested in being a counselor.
What is the greatest need you have in this effort?
Resources (counselors, activities, money) to continue impacting our campers.
Where can people go to donate money?
Go to our website www.camp-life.org to get information on donating.
CampLIFE! has no paid staff, no administrative fees and no overhead. 100% of donations go straight to the program costs. CampLIFE! relies on a large amount of in-kind donations, both camp facility and counselors, which have exceeded financial costs every year. To date, the fundraising to cover the financial costs has come from individuals – at the beginning, it was primarily from the founder’s extended family, and it has matured into receiving from individuals located in California to Florida to North Carolina who are inspired by the mission and the 100% donation-to-program philosophy. In addition, CampLIFE! receives many $10-$15 donations from the parents of the 700+ Ski ‘n Scats for-profit campers every summer, which constitutes the majority of our current fundraising.
Our primary costs are food, insurance, gas, and camp supplies. 100% of the donations to CampLIFE! go directly to these costs – no overhead/administrative costs are subtracted. Every penny donated to
CampLIFE! has gone directly to the camping experience of the children.
What specific instance that occurred in the course of your work that made it all worthwhile?
Comments like this:
“I want to thank you for your heart and willingness to reach out to these families who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation. We had a wonderful time last year and I know this year will prove to be even better. The ability to have a fun, exciting place to take the children and especially reach out to the teenagers who tend to be a difficult crowd to connect with, words cannot describe how important this is for the families. Families and especially children express their grief differently and they need a safe environment to do so. We have families across the state of Texas that need the care and support that together we can provide to them on a regular basis. Thanks for all you are doing for HUGSS and most importantly for Gold Star Families.”
-Debbie Busch, Executive Director of HUGSS (Helping Unite Gold Star Survivors)
CampLIFE!, 12908 Park Dr, www.camp-life.org, (512) 913-4778