Another Wonderful Summer at Camp Lots-of-Fun

That’s a wrap on another year of Camp Lots-of-Fun, Family Promise’s annual camp program that provides unforgettable summer experiences to children whose families have experienced homelessness. In addition to welcoming boys and girls ages 5-12 from our own housing and support programs, we again invited children from other local organizations, such as the Bergen County HEARTS Program and the Center for Hope & Safety, offering our beloved day camp to even more kids.

Our campers enjoyed two weeks of endless adventures, including trips to Pony Power Therapies, the Greenwood Lake Experience, Veolia North America’s outdoor classroom, and regular visits to a local pool. But there was much to do back at Camp Lots-of-Fun’s home base as well, which was once again the beautiful St. Catharine Church in Glen Rock. Returning Camp Director Tara Brannan curated exciting themed days with special activities to match, such as a Circus Day that included performances by the National Circus Project and a Western Day that featured square dancing and a visit from a mobile petting zoo. There were also plenty of daily STEAM projects and literacy activities so that campers learned while they played.

Along with Tara, Assistant Director Vanessa Andresen and Head Counselor Margie Tomasello returned for a second year, leading the 2024 session with the support of longtime Family Promise volunteer Fran Robertson and a roster of amazing young counselors, many also being members of the Family Promise Youth Council. For the fourth consecutive year, we offered stipends to our teen counselors in order to provide job opportunities to students who must earn an income during summer break. Over the two-week session, our staff and counselors formed special bonds with our campers, providing them with the individualized attention needed to flourish and thrive.

We are so grateful to all of the individuals, businesses, congregations, and foundations who made Camp Lots-of-Fun 2024 possible, including the Robert & Joan Dircks Foundation, sponsors Veolia North America and Sharp Electronics USA, and BMW of Woodcliff Lake, who donated brand-new backpacks and supplies to get our campers ready for the year ahead. Healthy breakfasts, lunches, and snacks were provided to our campers each day thanks to the generosity of Jane Dalton, Carner Bros., Geraldine Brennan, Sandy Santangelo, and Leslie Raimo.

Finally, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation to the parishioners of St. Catharine Church, who have been avid supporters of Camp Lots-of-Fun for many, many years. Spearheaded by our incredible volunteer and friend Pam Biggs, the congregation raised more than $3,000, in turn providing six lunches, several breakfasts, drinks, and all of the paper goods needed for the 2024 session. In addition, they also donated $100 gift cards for back-to-school shopping for each of our campers! We are so grateful to Pam for leading and coordinating St. Catharine’s involvement, and all that she does for this program year after year.

Thank you to everyone who supported Camp Lots-of-Fun 2024 and helped to give our campers a summer that they’ll never forget!