Camp Quality New Jersey, a volunteer driven, community-funded nonprofit providing free sleep-away camping experiences for children with cancer, has a limited number of openings for campers for its upcoming summer session from Aug. 2-7.
The program is open to children who will be between the ages of 5 and 17 by the start of the session. They can be at any stage of their illness, regardless of physical limitations, and must be able to spend a week away from home or the hospital. The session is held at a fully equipped sleep-away camp located off Interstate 80 in Sussex County. A full range of activities is offered from morning to night, all in keeping with the organization’s credo of “Letting kids with cancer be kids again.”
At camp, each child is matched with a volunteer companion aged 18 or older for the entire week. “Companions are an important part of the camp’s success, ensuring that children receive individualized attention and are well cared for while they are away from family members,” explained Sharon Goldman, director of the Adelphiabased organization. All companions go through extensive training and must meet stringent criteria before being matched. “Special care is given to matching to ensure that the companion is emotionally capable of attending to the needs of the camper and that the camper benefits from the experience and relationship that will carry throughout the year, beyond the summer camping experience,” Goldman added.
A professional medical staff specializing in pediatric oncology is on site at the camp, 24 hours a day, to dispense medication and attend to the medical needs of the camper. Camp Quality New Jersey continues its partnership with CentraState Medical Center in Freehold Township, St. Peters in New Brunswick and several other hospitals in the state, which provide medical staffing support and medical supplies.
For more information about Camp Quality New Jersey, including an application, call 732-642-9238 or visit www.campqualityusa.org/njor.