Mark’s wife, Miriam, lives in a long-term care facility for mental illness. Mark cares for their children 9, 12, and 13. He works two jobs and had two heart attacks in the last 5 years.  Jewish Social Services sends Mark a food card each month and once in a while, he needs help with a utility bill.

Summer is fun-and-games time for his kids but, with school out, it’s the most stressful season for Mark. He struggles to find a safe, affordable place for the kids so he can go to work. Without needs-based scholarships from the Federation, camp would not be possible. For a family like Mark’s, camp is not a luxury. It’s a lifeline.

The Federation funded 64 need-based camp scholarships this year, but we had to decline 24 more. 24 children like Mark’s – children whose parents lost their homes, suffered life-altering illness, and even lost their lives – were turned away. Their families’ financial situations got worse and we as a community could not help due to lack of funds. Please help us do better next summer by donating today.

$250 covers one week of Jewish day camp. If 10 people each give $25, we can send one more kid to camp for a week. If five people give $50 each, that’s a week. If enough people give, any amount, it all adds up. Will you be one of them?