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All God’s Children Camp is a camping ministry for
children of incarcerated mothers. Children, ages 7-12, spend a week at camp,
participating in activities such as boating, swimming, hiking, archery,
horseback riding, music, crafts, Bible Study, and conflict resolution. The camp
was started in 1999 when the Bishop’s Initiative for Children and Poverty w as
asked to identify and address the needs of at-risk children. Partnering with
Virginia United Methodist camps, the All God’s Children Camp was created to
provide a week of sanctuary for children who face so many challenges in their
lives: economic poverty; temporary living conditions while their mother,
usually their only parent, is incarcerated; loneliness; low self-esteem;
violence; and drugs. The camp began with one week at one location and has since
expanded to four weeks during the summer at four different sites, plus a weekend
in the fall.
Jamieson Memorial United Methodist Church will be
supporting All God’s Children in these ways:
Prayers: The camp and children need your
prayers. Alarming statistics show that these children are more likely than
their peers to have behavioral problems, troubles in school to the point of
dropping out, and eventual incarceration. We hope to give these children the
chance to break out of this cycle.
Mentoring: Volunteers come from churches across
the conference to spend the week at camp. These mentors model to the children
what God’s presence in their lives mean. They are the ones who assure the
children that they are indeed all God’s children and God loves and cares about
them in the midst of their struggles. Mentors do not lead activities but rather
provide supervision, companionship and compassion to the children during their
daily activities, mealtimes and bed time rituals. After cam, they agree to
maintain contact with their campers by phone or letters throughout the school
year. Mentors are adults, ages 17 and up. They attend a one-day training prior
to the week of camp. (See camp schedule above.) It is an intense, yet
extremely rewarding experience. Applications are available from the church
office, the United Methodist Men, the UMW Circles, or from Linda and Richard
Pulliam. They are also available to download from the website:
http://www.vaumc.org/index.cfm/fa/content.view/menuID/750.htm
Financial Contributions: The camps depend on
funds donated by individuals, groups and churches. A scholarship of $300 sends
one child to camp. Jamieson provided generous financial support in 2007. The UMW
contributed $700 for 2008.
Supplies: From May 25
- July 13, there will be a
container placed in the back of the sanctuary for new supplies or contact Linda
Pulliam for pickup:
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New sleeping bags
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Pillows and pillow cases
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Flat sheets
·
Flip flops
·
Rain ponchos
·
Bath towels
·
Travel size shampoo and soap
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Toothbrushes and toothpaste
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Laundry bags
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Cloth bags with handles
·
Shower totes
For more information, contact Linda Pulliam at
919-603-0317 or
lgpulliam@touchnc.net. Linda is a Jamieson Memorial UMC member and
Executive Director of the American Camp Association, Virginias. The Virginia
Conference website has full details and applications.
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