Dear Friend,

The school year ends very soon.

Imagine this: Your child made great progress in school this year. He’s reading better! He’s actually beginning to like school! But you worry that over the summer, his learning skills will suffer.

Or imagine this: Your spouse is very ill. Your home can be very sad sometimes. You worry about the effect it’s having on your daughters. You wish they had a safe place to get away and just be young girls

Or imagine this: You and your spouse have full-time jobs, but you’re barely making ends meet. When the school year ends, will one of you have to quit your job to care for your children?

Or this: Your child has a disability. During the school year, you know he’s getting the emotional, educational or physical support he needs. But what can you do this summer?

In many homes, the end of the school year is a time of joy and exuberance. But in too many other homes, the end of the school year poses real and heart-breaking challenges.

The answer for many families is summer camp. Unfortunately, it’s an answer that isn’t available to many families without the help of kind and generous people like you.

The JCCGCI Summer Camp Scholarship Fund has helped 1261 children over the last 10 years by providing funds to families that have enabled them to:

• Come out of their shells through day camps that provide music or drama instruction, sports activities, and immersion in the natural world – which is so hard to come by in this metropolitan area
• Maintain progress achieved during the school year through camps that keep the habit of learning alive and instill confidence (and joy!) from learning and reading
• Provide a safe environment with good adult role models and nutritious food
• Allow children with difficult home lives (due to the illness, injury or death of a parent) to have respite with children their own age

“It is so important for children to be in a structured environment during the very long summer weeks. Your generosity is so appreciated, helping children to be in an educational and positive environment.”

“I would like to express my gratitude … your generosity made a big difference in our children’s life and kept them off the streets. They are able to enjoy the summer and it is all because of you!” wrote a grateful mother.

 Every dollar we raise from this letter except for the minor cost of the mailing will go directly to providing summer camp tuition assistance. Additionally, we have a 501 (c)(3) designation from the IRS, so your generous gift is tax deductible.

On behalf of the poor families who will be the beneficiaries of your generosity, I thank you. With your donation, you will be – literally – putting smiles on the faces of needy children from vulnerable families, as well as lifting an extraordinary burden from their parents.

Rabbi Moshe Wiener
Executive Director

P.S. A very generous benefactor has promised to match all gifts. In fact, he has committed to doubling the amount that exceeds your total donation from last year! Can we count on you?