Each fall, students in CJSF have a project called “Researching a Charity.” In this activity, members find information and write a short paragraph on a charity that they think needs more acknowledgment. Mrs. Avery and Mrs. Kracker, the CJSF leaders, read and picked a charity that they think deserves recognition. One of those recognized charities that Gary Ryznar picked is Camp Kesem! Gary started going to camp back in 2018 and it has “always ended up being the highlight of [his] season.” Gary states that this camp welcomes everyone with open arms, and the reason Gary decided to help volunteer is because he wants to thank all the people who helped him as a kid.
Camp Kesem is a camp for children with parents who have cancer or have lost a parent to cancer. Many kids feel alone when they have a parent who is diagnosed with cancer, so Camp Kesem creates a safe space where children going through the same thing have a place to talk to each other and connect. Because CJSF noticed that Camp Kesem needed support, they decided to reach out and hold a fundraiser on February 28th at school. English teachers passed out Camp Kesem donation papers, and whoever raised the most money was given a sweet treat!
Camp Kesem’s mission is to make sure any child with a parent impacted by cancer can be a part of something that will make them feel a little less alone. At Camp Kesem, kids do not feel isolated, because they are surrounded by people who will hear them and know how they are feeling. Mrs. Kracker mentioned that Camp Kesem is “…providing magical memories for children.” Every child should feel extraordinary. When they grow up and look back on their childhood, they should remember a carefree time, when they were happy.
Most people do not know how to support a child dealing with so much, so it is challenging to try and help. Mrs. Curtis noted how different people want and need different support. Having a place to go where they can talk about their struggles with other kids going through the same thing, is a great way to feel heard. She said, “But if they are able to go to a camp, where there’s other people who are dealing with all the same kinds of things, then that’s a way that [teachers] know they are getting help from the people who know what kinds of things are going to make them feel better…”
Growing up is different for every child, and those individual experiences have the power to change their personality and how they view life. A kid can experience something far too big for them to handle, and unfortunately, sometimes they do not have a support system to let out their feelings. Camp Kesem believes that every kid should “deserve the chance to fully experience the joys of childhood and be their best selves.”