Camp Opportunity 2017 Annual Report

WHY WE ARE DIFFERENT

Camp Opportunity’s mission is to break the cycle of child abuse and neglect in Maryland. We serve children aged 8 to 11 who are victims of physical, sexual or neglectful child abuse. We offer them a fun, safe, one-week reprieve from their troubled households and nurture their sense of dignity and self-worth. The primary ingredient of our camp is one-on-one camp counseling where each counselor spends all day, every day, with their assigned camper. “ Our program empowers children (and volunteers) to try new things in an atmo- sphere that is supportive and conducive for building social skills. We provide up to four years of attendance in our program, molding the children in this crucial time in their lives. Most children we serve experience very difficult and unpleasant home lives that (more often than not) cause mental and emotional problems. These are children who are victims, by birth or circumstance, that often cause lasting damage to their view of life, their self-image and their view of how the world operates. They are traumatized children, from damaged homes, and our single purpose is to intervene in such a way as to give them a healthy life. We accept children who are entering the third grade of school (usually 8 years old), and they are allowed to remain in our program up to four years. “

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There is no fee of any kind for any Camp Opportunity child to attend camp or mid-year activities.

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Everything we offer to children is free.

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