|
|
|
|
Donate Online/Cash
|
Camper Sponsorship
Planned Giving
|
Other Ways of Giving
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Camper Sponsorship
Camp Sunburst is a place where I can just be a kid. — Joey, age 10
 Camp Sunburst is a weeklong residential summer camp for children/teens and their families living with HIV/AIDS. Often leaving behind their worlds of social stigma and isolation campers are given the opportunity to express emotions in a positive and healthy manner through a range of therapeutic activities such as music and art. Campers discover new tools to express their feelings without the fear of being ostracized and make new friends. For many of these children, this is the first time they are able to experience the simple pleasures of childhood.
Many of the children who attend the camp are from inner cities and have never been to the country. The camps are always held in a natural setting with plenty of land, a swimming pool, playing fields, and lots of fresh air.
Although the real emphasis is on having a fun summer time camp experience, safeguards are also necessary for those children whose health are often fragile. We provide:
- 24 hour medical care
- One to one counselor-to-camper ratio
- Swimming, hiking, ropes course, arts and crafts, campfires — all of the typical summer camp activities
- Special leadership programs for teens
 The needs of siblings and/or affected children living in the home with HIV positive parents are also addressed. Uninfected by HIV/AIDS, these children are virtually ignored by the medical community, since they are not “sick.” Very often these children carry the burden of keeping their sister’s, brother’s or parent’s AIDS diagnosis a secret. This burden carries with it a profound isolation from the outside world. For some, Camp Sunburst is the first time they have been able to talk openly about the AIDS diagnosis. We offer siblings:
- One to one counselor-to-camper ratio
- Emotional support
- Peer support
For the parent or other adult caregiver, the camp provides respite from the ongoing daily stresses of the child’s illness. Families are able to find companionship in one another. Services provided to parents include:
- Respite in a supportive environment
- Parent Education
- Peer support group
- Networking with others who are in a similar situation
 The camp is free of charge to all families. This includes ground transportation, food, lodging, insurance, and all materials for a week of activities. For families traveling from out of state, airfare is paid for one infected child and one traveling companion. We are funded entirely through contributions.
Your sponsorship makes an extraordinary impact on the lives of the children and their families living with HIV/AIDS. Camp helps them discover that they are not alone, that they are “normal,” and that they deserve to live as freely as other children do in society.
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Download this form:
|
|
|
|
Sponsor a Camper Form
|
|
|
(Click to download the above form as a PDF* or call the Sunburst Projects office for a paper application.)
* You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this — you can download the free software at: Adobe.
|
|
|
|
|
