The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
After providing virtual summer camp programs and activities in 2020, and limited in-person off-season programs which were offered from October to May, larger groups of campers returned to SFAH in June to participate in our 120th season.
This year we will provide a total of 8 one-week camp sessions each with an enrollment of 20-22 children. In total, we will serve 170 children with physical disabilities this summer. They participate in a wide range of activities including basketball, tennis, bicycling, relays, swimming, iPads, computers, gardening, arts, crafts, photography, cooking, music and dancing. Off-site trips to Cooper’s Beach, Carvel and sailing are favorites.
Our campers enjoy tending to the accessible gardens, watching seeds grown into herbs, fruits and vegetables which they pick and use in their cooking club. They also enjoy learning to ride bikes -- a childhood rite of passage. This builds physical strength and fine-tunes motor skills and physical coordination. Our new adaptive bicycles are designed to accommodate the needs of individuals with disabilities. Our campers are most excited about the addition of weekly computer science workshops. Knowing the basics of computer science is a great skill for our children to learn, opening doors to accessible jobs and more.
Our in-person, off-season programming included Life Skill Lab workshops, day-trips, reunion weekends at SFAH, alumni activities and on-line resources. Despite challenges brought on by the pandemic, this year, provided 10 off-season events that served more than 40 youngsters.
We continue to offer virtual programs to expand our impact. Daily activities provide recreation, socialization and education for campers during the time they are not here with us in-person. During the off-season, we offered more than 65 virtual events that reached more than 350 participants.