A PEER SUPPORT NETWORK FOR CHILDREN AFFECTED BY A PARENT S CANCER

A PEER SUPPORT NETWORK FOR CHILDREN AFFECTED BY A PARENT S CANCER

THE NEED Over 3 million children live with a parent with cancer. Many more have lost a parent to cancer. A cancer diagnosis or death affects the entire family. For children whose parents have this horrible disease, childhood joys are replaced with a new reality of cancer vocabulary, treatments and fears. Because they are neither physically ill nor visibly distinct from other children, these children suffer quietly, leading to isolation, low selfesteem and depression. Worried parents seek out support for their children, and discover that there are very few support services available for children of cancer patients. Until they find Camp Kesem. 1

WHAT WE DO We let kids just be kids. Camp Kesem provides a safe and supportive atmosphere where children befriend peers who can relate to their unique situation, and gain the strategies and confidence needed to cope with their parent s illness or death. While children find support, college students develop critical leadership skills as they create, manage, fundraise and run every aspect of their local CK chapter. Summer Camp: CK s network is rooted in our signature program a network of free, collegestudent run summer camps. Activities include arts & crafts, waterfront sports, hiking, teambuilding, and more, all led by counselors who have completed over twenty hours of intensive precamp training. Although Camp Kesem is not therapeutic by design, opportunities to acknowledge and discuss the unique challenges accompanying a parent s cancer diagnosis are offered at campfires, nightly Cabin Chats, and a carefully designed special program to celebrate the week of camp. Year Round Support: Camp Kesem campers can (and do) return every year from age 616. Our campers form closeknit communities with their counselors and fellow campers. To facilitate this, Camp Kesem provides continued support throughout the school year with camp reunions, yearround communications, online groups for camper parents, SAT preparation courses, and more. 2

HOW WE DO IT Camp Kesem leverages the talents and time of committed college students. Led by the passionate volunteer efforts of college students at 63 universities across the United States, Camp Kesem gives kids facing a parent s cancer critical support, while empowering college students with life and leadership skills. Camp Kesem chapters are founded by the initiative, commitment and entrepreneurial spirit of volunteer college students with a passion for helping others and a desire to acquire the leadership skills Camp Kesem provides. In addition to demanding academic, work and social schedules, our students dedicate on average 1015 hours/week (over 320,000 hours collectively across all volunteers) to Camp Kesem as they commit to a yearlong position essentially running their own non profit, and managing every aspect of their program including: Public Relations & Marketing Camper Recruitment & Community Relations Counselor Recruitment & Training Development & Fundraising Budget Management & Financial Planning Programming & Event Production 3

Existing Camp Locations WHERE WE ARE 62 College Campus Programs in 29 States. Camp Kesem started as one chapter at Stanford University in 2000. Since then, our geographic reach has expanded to 62 communities in 29 States. Camp Kesem Chapters Augustana College Florida State University Rice University UCSB* University of Pennsylvania Arizona State University Fresno State * Santa Clara University UCSD University of Richmond Brigham Young University George Washington University Southern Utah University USC University of Southern Alabama * Brigham Young UniversityIdaho Indiana University St Louis University University of ColoradoBoulder University of TexasAustin Carnegie Mellon * Johns Hopkins University Stanford University University of Florida University of Virginia Case Western Reserve University Miami Stony Brook University University of Georgia University of Washington Central PA Michigan State University Syracuse University University of Illinois University of Wisconsin Chestnut Hill * MIT Texas A&M University of Michigan Vanderbilt University Columbia University Northern Arizona University UC Berkeley University of Minnesota Virginia Commonwealth University Cornell University * Northwestern University UC Davis University of Missouri William & Mary Duke/UNC Notre Dame UC Irvine University of Nebraska Yale University Elon University * Ohio State University UC Santa Cruz University of Oregon Emory University Princeton * UCLA University of Oklahoma * First camp will open Summer 2015 4

1 = Not True, 5 = Very True 4.2 4.0 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.2 3.0 Comfortable expressing their feelings Feels connected to other children their age who have/had a parent with cancer Feels confident that they can handle challenges that come their way Feels good about themselves OUR IMPACT Before Camp Kesem After Camp Kesem 98% OF PARENTS BELIEVE 99% CAMP KESEM HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON THEIR FAMILY OF PARENTS WOULD RECOMMEND CAMP KESEM TO OTHER FAMILES AFFECTED BY CANCER 5

TESTIMONIALS Camper Parent: Mary My four children lost their father in 2010 to cancer. We have worked hard to live well since our loss and rebuild a sense of normalcy. We have done counseling, support groups, kept lines of communication open, and have a wonderful support network of fabulous family and friends; however, out of all the consistent work we have done to grieve appropriately, the children made more progress and seem more well adjusted after Camp Kesem than all the other work combined in two years! They came away with hope and were so encouraged. As a mom of grieving children, I am so incredibly grateful. We look forward to reunions and camp next year. Your staff and program are top notch beyond our wildest expectations. Camper Family Profile: Nancy, Michael and Sean, UCLA Our lives were changed forever when my husband received a diagnosis of prostate cancer. My sons, Michael and Sean, lost their father to cancer when they were 8 and 10. Michael describes Camp Kesem as Heaven on Earth, he wishes he could spend his whole summer there. Sean credits Camp Kesem with giving him the selfconfidence to come out of his shell, to be who he is: The counselors are just awesome, they have taught me kindness, we have fun and we are friends for life. Camp Kesem gives my boys the time and opportunity to leave cancer behind and just be kids Student Leader Liz: Camp Kesem isn t the best thing I did in college, it s the best thing I ve done in my life so far. Having the opportunity to be around these happy, wonderful kids, even when they re going through what they re going through, puts everything else into perspective. Camp Kesem definitely made me into the person I am today, and made me a better person. 6

OUR SUPPORTERS A few of our supporters include: Jennifer Love Hewitt Jessica Capshaw Ashley Tisdale Jennie Garth Former NFL Players Torry & Terrence Holt EJ Manuel of the Buffalo Bills Tyler Polumbus of the Washington Redskins Deron Williams of the NJ Nets Blake Griffin of the LA Clippers 7

IN THE NEWS 8

HOW YOU CAN HELP HELPHELP Visit Us Attend a National Event Family Night at the Museum (March 2015, Chicago) Susan s Magic Makers (September 20, 2014, LA) Attend a Regional/Local Event Make the Magic Fundraisers Local Fall & Spring Reunions Visit Camp Our camp season takes place from June to August. We invite you visit any one of our local camps. Use Your Voice Share our story Link to us on your website Ask our supporters and campers for an interview Speak at one of our events Create an encouragement video for campers and families Be a spokesperson for one of our campaigns (Giving Tuesday, Scoring For Good) Sponsor Us $500 Camp Fees for One Child $1,000 One Year of Support for One Child $2,500 Camp Fire Circle $5,000 Support an Entire Cabin $10,000 Leadership Circle $40,000 Start a new camp Launch a signature activity at camp, reunions, or our National Leadership Summit 9

CONTACT @CampKesem Instagram.com/campkesem Facebook.com/campkesem MaiLan Pham/ mailan@campkesem.org Campkesem.org 10