What role does Camp Kindness Counts play in the community?
Camp Kindness Counts considers community-building to be one of our most important tenets! We believe that by teaching our young people to be more empathetic and socially aware this will inspire them to want to improve and give back to their community and foster positive change within themselves academically, socially, and emotionally. So far, some of our activities have led our campers and their families to water and weed community parks, volunteer at a community farms, visit with seniors, and make meals for the homeless in their neighborhood. Our events have a two-pronged goal: in addition to improving the specific problem, we also want to build a sense of community by encouraging youth and families to work towards a common goal and highlighting the positive impact youth can make in their communities.
How do you get this work done?
We run several after-school enrichment programs and summer camps in the Bellevue School District. Within these we focus on teaching elementary-aged children the power and importance of being kind. We teach them specific strategies that empower them to be empathetic, inspire them to be leaders, and give them the confidence to see that their simple acts of kindness can improve their community and make a difference in themselves. We also organize several free family volunteer events and parent education workshops throughout the year, giving parents the opportunity to learn and make a difference as well.
What are ways that people can get involved with Camp Kindness Counts?
Participate in a Camp Kindness Counts volunteer event! With the continuing growth of our organization (through partnerships with great organizations like Eastside Pathways!) we are also looking for volunteer involvement within our organization in many ways (accounting, grant research, teaching, event planning, administrative). You can also support our mission by talking to your local PTSA about having CKC run an after-school enrichment program at your school. And, of course, since we are a fledgling non-profit, we also welcome involvement through in-kind donations.
How will being a part of Eastside Pathways make a difference for Camp Kindness Counts?
Like any small non-profit, we are constantly working towards improving our visibility so that we can have an even greater impact. To this end, partnership within a group that shares a common goal such as Eastside Pathways will be invaluable. Involvement with Eastside Pathways will also allow us collaborative access to other non-profits with common goals. We are also excited about working with Eastside Pathways’ Summer and Extended Learning Collaborative since this will be a great fit for our after-school and summer enrichment programs.
Article submitted by Dhaarmika Coehlo, founder and president, of Camp Kindness Counts