“Camp is about the people!”
When we announced in 2023 that Camp was leaving our original, beautiful location that served us well for 25 years for a NEW (to us), beautiful location that would better-serve our aging population in the years to come, (ok, it’s me! I’m the one that’s aging!), everyone kept saying the same thing to us, and to one another.
“Camp is the people!”
“Camp will be fine, it’s about the people!”
Lately, I have been reflecting on how important our personal connections, our communities, are. How much we lean on each other when our realities are bleak and challenging. When our Chosen Family or our families of origin are spread far and wide, where is our community? Our people? Coming out of COVID, folks of all ages have been hit by an epidemic of loneliness. What’s the cure?
We are lucky, folks!
We get to connect each summer for a week in a beautiful space, where we can see the stars, hear the laughter, smell the trees, and feel the cool water should we venture into the lake or the pool. We can hug our loved ones good and tight that week.
Those other long weeks of the year, we have our online connection where we share jokes, and photos, and arrange meet-ups and reunions.
And those that haven’t found us yet? What do they have?
If they are lucky, they have access to a community center.
That is why this year, Camp Gives Back is looking to the places that connect the people. CenterLink, the Community of LGBTQ Centers is one of those places.
What is “Camp Gives Back,” you ask? Created in 2012, the program donates 10% of our Camp Store sales, along with direct donations from individual Campers to an organization that serves the LGBTQ community. Past beneficiaries include:
- Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Fund (now True Colors United; $1435 in 2013)
- SAGE: Advocacy & Services for LGBTQ+ Elders ($1888 in 2014)
- Camp Aranu’tiq (now Harbor Camps; $1685 in 2015)
- National Center for Transgender Equality (now Advocates for Trans Equality; $1673 in 2016)
- Immigration Equality ($2090 in 2017)
- Family Equality Council ($1671 in 2018)
…and many more great organizations!
CenterLink fits right into our goal of supporting our community! It is the center piece if you will. It is the center of all of the LGBTQ community centers. They have over 375 member centers on their roles. They act as a hub to help folks find a center near them, where they can interact with other like-minded folks. From youth who are just finding themselves, middle aged parents, roller derby enthusiasts, or elders who are caregivers and need a Support Network, if it’s out there, they likely have the map to get you there.
Even the Centers need communities, too! They provide essential tools, resources, and connections to help their member organizations launch and thrive. They support one another when a small, rural, isolated or underserved community comes under attack.
Camp is giving back to CenterLink, to combat that epidemic of loneliness, fight hate, and help people find like-minded connections in their own communities that will bring them their joy! If you’re coming to Camp in 2026, you’ll be able to make a donation to CenterLink via your Cashless Camp account through the Camp Store. If you’re not able to join us in 2026 or would like to just donate directly, you can visit Centerlink’s donation portal now. Every donation, no matter the size, helps to connect and lift up your queer family members from across the country.
— Michelle Rediker,
Associate Director