• The parents’ combined income does not exceed $55,000 a year. (This rule is flexible when involving larger families or single parents.) How the Program Grew By 2005, with the selection process in place, Jack was able to convince two other camps to join the program, Rich Gersten at Brant Lake and Ken and Rick Etra at Camp Pontiac. This would be the first time that Jack was not at the same camp as the scholarship campers. There were a total of seven campers at these three camps, and he was feeling like a nervous parent sending his own children to camp for the first time. By the summer of 2009, Focus For a Future grew to include twenty-nine camps serving a total of seventy campers. This was largely because of word-of-mouth support for the program from people such as Dan Zenkel (founder and former CEO of CampGroup and one of the founders of America’s Camp) and Mark Benerofe (current president of CampGroup Family of Camps), who believed in Focus For a Future from the start. Their support and counsel helped Dan’s early prediction come true, “Focus For a Future has the ability to grow exponentially.” In April of 2010, Focus For a Future received recognition at an ACA, New York and New Jersey board meeting. In response, the board sent out a communication about the program titled “Great Kids for Empty Beds” to all ACA, New York and New Jersey members. By the next summer, the number of camps involved jumped to forty-five with 111 scholarship campers served. Another factor that has increased the camp community’s awareness and participation If you are interested in joining the Focus For a Future team or in making a donation, please visit focusforafuture.org. 44 CAMPING magazine • November/December 2013 in Focus For a Future is receiving the Ben Applebaum Advocate for Youth Award presented at SCOPE’s annual fundraising dinner in 2012. The Educators To date there have been approximately seventy educators (teachers, social workers, administrators, coaches) who have been part of our program. They base their decisions not only on the selection criteria, but also on long-term relationships with and observations of the candidates they choose. The educators on the team take many hours of their own time to communicate with the families, the camp owners, and Jack. They fill out camp forms; shop or purchase gift cards for sneakers, clothing, and/or equipment for the campers; and sometimes visit their students at camp. All of their work is voluntary and often involves multiple children at a time. Without them, Focus For a Future could not operate. Keeping Camp Owners and Educators Engaged Clearly, the amazing kindness and generosity of the camp owners and volunteer educators has helped Focus For a Future achieve its goals. Camp owners warmly accept the children and are committed to making each summer (most often many summers) memorable for them. Although they participate in Focus For a Future out of the kindness of their hearts and would probably do so without any recognition at all, the organization does everything it can to show its appreciation and build toward continued success and collaboration. The “Thank You” Dinner After each season, the board members host a “Thank You” dinner for the camp owners and directors, educators, and donors who are instrumental in the program. A few scholarship campers and their parents are also invited. Several of the campers prepare something to say about their camp experience and are invariably the highlight of the evening. Also, a video is shown featuring scholarship campers and camp owners talking about the summer from their personal perspectives. During the dinner and throughout the video, it becomes clear that camp owners and directors are impressed not just with the fact that the scholarship campers benefit from the experience, but that the entire camp community benefits from the diversity as well. These children arrive with no expectations and approach the summer with awe and appreciation. Their enthusiasm is contagious. It is truly a win-win situation. When camp owners and directors reinforce that in their own words, it encourages others to engage in the program. No doubt the true testament of how camp owners feel about the program is demonstrated by the fact that, although a child may have been accepted to fill an empty bed, the vast majority of them have been invited back on a full scholarship for as long as they want to continue. The Future At this time, Focus For a Future children are provided scholarships at camps in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maine, New Hampshire, Florida, Minnesota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Our operating expenses for 2012 were $81,963. Jack maintains that if there is one bed available, Focus For a Future wants to be able to fill it. This philosophy has often taken the placement process into the middle of June when last-minute offers are made by camp owners. In turn, rushed phone calls are made to the educators who always draw from their “waiting lists” to find the right match. Focus For a Future hopes to continue to serve these less advantaged children who can only benefit from the opportunity of summer camp and who, in turn, enrich the camp experience for everyone. Photos on pages 42 and 43 courtesy of Focus For a Future. Jack and Paula Kaminer are both retired educators and have been married for forty-four years. Jack taught for thirty-six years in New York City and Scarsdale, New York. He has held many camp positions from dishwasher to basketball director. He coached basketball for thirty-two years and is in the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame. Paula and Jack have two married daughters and four grandchildren. SCOPE is an organization formed by ACA, New York and New Jersey to provide children in need the ability to attend nonprofit summer camps. Since 1992, more than 20,000 children have attended these camps through SCOPE’s funding. The Ben Applebaum Advocate for Youth Award is presented at SCOPE’s annual fundraising dinner. Some former recipients have included Christopher Reeve, Senator Charles Schumer, and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
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