The past 10 months have been a most difficult time and, like people everywhere, Camp Erutan had to make adjustments as to how we operated this year.
While it wasn't possible to have regular camp sessions during the summer, we didn't want to cut off completely from our campers so we've been doing all we can to stay connected.
A group of kids who have attended camp every year for the past several years is who we've really focused on during the pandemic. There have been weekly FaceTime calls with those kids living in New York, and also phone calls and a masked, socially distanced afternoon together with a camper from California, when it was allowed. The campers have let us know what they need for school and personally, so during the shutdowns we've provided them with new clothes, toiletries, school supplies, art supplies, books, games, and electronics (both for school and play). One of the kids had a tablet from school to use for remote learning but she was limited in how she could use it. Lisa mentioned this to a Camp Erutan supporter who then donated a new iPad to send to our camper and it has made an incredible difference in her learning and connective capabilities. We follow up regularly to make sure all of our campers are doing well at home and in school and thankfully, we've been able to provide whatever assistance they need to help them be successful.
Thank you to all our friends of Camp Erutan for your continued support. Your contributions have allowed us to continue to help kids in need and although this year has been different, we look forward to getting back to giving kids a summer camp experience when it's safe to do so. We know it has been a challenging time for many but we appreciate any support you're able to provide. Besides donating by check or via PayPal at camperutan.org/donate, one of the easiest ways to contribute is through purchases made on Amazon — just log in at smile.amazon.com and designate Camp Erutan as your chosen charity for us to receive a small percentage of the total purchase!
Wishing everyone a healthy, happy and peaceful holiday season.
With much appreciation,
Elaine Mermelstein
Co-Founder
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