Salvation Army Summer Camps Change Lives
The countdown has begun. Summer break for Canada’s students is just around the corner. Thanks to your generous donations Salvation Army camping ministries are gearing up to provide close to 5,000 kids nationwide a time of fun, friendship and new accomplishments in a safe environment where they can flourish and feel important.
Every summer, The Salvation Army gives thousands of underprivileged children the opportunity to go to a holiday camp. One such camp, located in the Laurentians near St. Hippolyte, has welcomed young Quebecers since 1933.
At Camp Lake l’Achigan children between the ages of seven to 12 enjoy a variety of summer activities. The beach is sandy, allowing for supervised aquatic games, swimming, canoe and pedalo rides, and a water trampoline. The playground is equipped with slides, swings, a basketball net, and beach volleyball and softball courts. There are campfires, fishing, and ice cream – really, something for everyone!
Captain Rachele Lamont, director of camp activities, declares, “The five days spent in the great outdoors enable children to leave their challenging family context. They make new friends, play in safety, and participate in new and exciting activities. It is an experience that they will not quickly forget.”
Oliver, nine, has been a Lake l’Achigan camper for three summers. Each time, he has brought home wonderful memories. “We laughed a lot, we ran around and we played like crazy,” he reports. His favourite activities took place in the chapel and on the lake, particularly the kayak, pedalo, and canoe rides.
Captain Rachele Lamont believes that children raised in the city benefit from time spent outdoors. “We build trust between ourselves and the children while instilling in them good values. We teach respect between fellow campers. Playgrounds provide excellent training sites to practice these values. We spend a lot of time talking to our campers.”
Facilities at the camp include cabins, a fully equipped kitchen and dining room, an infirmary, an arts and crafts hut, a chapel, a site for wilderness camping and a two-story play fort.
Captain Jean-Curtis Plante, the camp’s director, says, “The kitchen/ dining hall is brand new this year. We are always working to make our camp better, safer and more enjoyable.”
Again this summer, The Salvation Army is eager to offer children an exciting vacation in an enchanting country setting. Your donation allows children from underprivileged backgrounds to discover nature, make new friends, build self-esteem and blossom and grow.
Financial contributions can be made by visiting HYPERLINK “https://salvationarmy.ca” www.SalvationArmy.ca, by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769), by mailing donations to The Salvation Army, 2 Overlea Blvd., Toronto, ON M4H 1P4 or by visiting the closest Salvation Army facility in your area.
