Grant Enables Thirty-Three Homeless Children To Attend Off-Site Summer Camp
NEW YORK, N.Y., June 23, 2006 — The Coalition for the Homeless today announced a $60,000 grant from the New York Life Foundation. This is the Foundation’s third year of support for the Coalition for the Homeless’ sleep-away summer camp, Camp Homeward Bound. The support will enable 33 children to attend the 19-day camp program in upstate New York and provide educational materials for the Camp.
“The continued support we receive from the New York Life Foundation allows our children to experience the fun that summer can bring,” said Mary Brosnahan Sullivan, executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless. “This Camp gives homeless children a chance to participate in outdoor activities and enjoy a rural environment, an opportunity that many of them rarely get to experience.”
“We are pleased to support Camp Homeward Bound, which has a positive and lasting effect on the lives of homeless children and their families,” said Peter Bushyeager, president of the New York Life Foundation.
The Camp offers a wide array of educational, recreational and creative programs to 300 homeless children every summer. This grant allows 33 additional children to attend and provides funding for educational materials the children use during their visit. Camp Homeward Bound, located in Harriman State Park in upstate New York, is the country’s first summer camp designed specifically for homeless children.
In addition to the Coalition’s sleep-away camp, New York Life Foundation has also supported The Coalition for the Homeless’ after-school educational programming and shelter-based summer day camp. The Foundation’s total support exceeds $340,000.
The Coalition for the Homeless (www.coalitionforthehomeless.org) was founded in 1981 on the principle that decent shelter, sufficient food, affordable housing, and the chance to work for a living wage are fundamental rights in a civilized society. The Coalition has worked through litigation, public education, and direct services to ensure that these goals are realized. Each day the Coalition helps nearly 3,500 homeless New Yorkers find homes and jobs, eat nutritious meals, receive benefits, further their education and learn basic life skills. In addition to Camp Homeward Bound, the Coalition’s network of 11 direct service programs include a mobile soup kitchen that serves up to 800 meals a night; crisis intervention services; a job training program for formerly homeless mothers; free voice mail accounts enabling homeless people to connect with employers and landlords; and supportive housing for homeless people living with AIDS.
The New York Life Foundation is the major vehicle through which New York Life Insurance Company channels contributions to national and local nonprofit organizations. Through its Nurturing the Children initiative, the Foundation supports organizations, programs and services that target young people, particularly in the areas of mentoring, safe places to learn and grow, and educational enhancement opportunities. Please visit the Foundation’s Web site at www.newyorklifefoundation.org.
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