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TBAF Awards $20,000 Grant to Camp Combe YMCA to Fund Recreational Opportunities
Grant will help children with special needs enjoy a successful summer camp in an inclusive setting
The Bubel/Aiken Foundation recently awarded $20,000 to the Camp Combe YMCA in Putnam Valley, a branch of the YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester, to implement Let's ALL Play - Inclusion in Recreational Programs. The grant will enable children with developmental disabilities and other special needs to enjoy a successful summer camp experience in an inclusive setting.
The Camp Combe YMCA is a traditional day camp program located on 80 beautifully wooded acres. The Bubel/Aiken Foundation has been actively developing its Let's ALL Play Program since the program's inception in 2004. Through the Let's ALL Play Program, the foundation supports recreational programs in their efforts to implement inclusive camps by providing a program model, funding and training. Today, the Foundation supports 29 recreational programs across the country. Providing this grant to the Camp Combe YMCA is another exciting step toward TBAF's goal of full inclusion.
Let's ALL Play helps bring an inclusive recreational experience to children with disabilities. It gives children with developmental disabilities and other special needs the same experience as those without. Children with and without disabilities come together to participate in recreational activities such as swimming, arts and crafts, community service, physical fitness and more.
"Camp Combe has been committed to creating an inclusive environment since our doors opened in 2000," said Mary Gifford-Smith, assistant camp director and clinical psychologist. "The Let's ALL Play grant and our partnership with the Bubel/Aiken Foundation is an exciting opportunity to further our efforts in this area and to create a camp environment where every child feels welcome and valued. Importantly, this grant benefits everyone. Children with disabilities will have the opportunity to participate in activities that they and their families may never have thought possible, while our campers without disabilities will have opportunities to develop understanding and acceptance as they learn that differences do not have to create barriers."
The Bubel/Aiken Foundation provides services and financial assistance to promote the full integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of those without. The Foundation strives to create awareness about the diversity of individuals with disabilities and the possibilities that inclusion can bring. To learn more about the Bubel/Aiken Foundation or ways to get involved, visit their Web site at www.bubelaiken.org.
In 2006, approximately 10 percent of the campers attending Camp Combe were identified as having developmental, emotional or behavioral special needs. The TBAF grant will allow Camp Combe to target children ages 3-15 with disabilities, increasing both the number and variety of children served. "As a function of the TBAF grant, specially trained counselors, called "inclusion specialists," work closely with staff, children and parents to remove barriers to participation by children with disabilities. There is no additional charge for these services. For more information on how to participate, call the Camp Combe office at 526-0808.
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