BEST SUMMER EVER FOR DANIEL AND EVALYNN THANKS TO PUBLIC SUPPORT
Summertime adds an additional layer of stress for working parents who want active, engaging experiences for their kiddos without breaking the budget or losing their jobs.
For Emily and Douglas, summer posed an incredible challenge because they found themselves suddenly with full custody of Doug’s children.
“It was completely unexpected, and Doug and I work full time,” Emily says. “How would we budget 9 weeks of summer camp without any advance notice?”
The Y’s financial assistance, made possible through support by 4J, South Lane and individual donors, meant that Daniel, 12, and Evalynn, 9, could attend 9 weeks of summer camp—the best summer of their lives, they said— while Emily and Doug worked.
“The Y has been so amazing: working with us to eliminate the cost and giving our kids an incredibly fulfilling summer,” she says. “This was the first time they’ve attended summer camp ever, and it was a life-changing experience for them.”
In Y summer camp, they had opportunities to explore, play, socialize, learn respect and caring, grow their minds, and be physically active.
“Daniel went rafting twice, and I heard about every reptile that lives on Mt. Pisgah after that field trip,” she says. “His confidence level has just skyrocketed, and he’s really blossomed.”
In Y camp, Evalynn made several friends, one of which invited Evalynn to her first-ever sleepover. “They needed this summer at the Y,” Emily says. “This fall, they moved to a new school district with new classmates. The Y gave them a platform to feel comfortable and confident starting a new school year in a new place.”
Even after camp ended, the kids were asking when they could return to the Y.
“Everybody has been so lovely at the Y,” Emily says. “I can’t even tell you how much it has changed our lives.”
