The following letter was sent to potential Camp Jake counselors this past week. If you are interested in becoming a counselor for the 2013 session of Camp Jake and did not receive a letter, please read below. We welcome all applicants!
Thank you for your interest in joining The Red Thread Promise as a counselor at Camp Jake, July 2013.
Camp Jake is an extraordinary summer camp where disabled Haitian children and teens are given the opportunity to move beyond their disabilities in a fun and compassionate environment, discovering and nurturing their own innate abilities. Each camper is given the opportunity to engage in cultural exchanges with counselors, sports, aquatics, creative arts, music and physical therapy at Kaliko Beach Club, located in Montrouis on the Northern coast of Haiti. Carefully selected activities are geared toward campers developing new life skills and experiences that impart greater self-confidence and self-esteem, with a focus on the campers’ future integration into the greater Haitian society.
The Red Thread’s first Camp Jake was held in January 2012, followed by another session in July 2012, each a success! Our campers continue to build on past experiences at Camp Jake and are excited about our next session. Camp Jake 2013 will host 50+ campers and with that we require 14-16 extraordinary counselors with varying backgrounds.
Given the harsh conditions of the Haitian environment and the many disabilities of our campers, we require our counselors to have the following characteristics:
- Empathy and compassion for both campers and their
- Reliability and responsibility
- Patience with campers and other counselors
- Motivation
- Ability to follow detailed instructions
- Ability to multi-task in a high stress environment with sudden and expected changes
- Be physically fit with the ability to lift 75 lbs.
- Ability to work in temperatures exceeding 90F / 32C
- Ability to swim in both pool and sea
- A youthful outlook
- Energetic and gregarious personality
- Sense of humor
Camp Jake 2013 will require counselors to depart the US from their respective cities on July 10, 2013 and return on July 21, 2013. All counselors share the same flight into and departing from Haiti. The time includes an 8 day camp, a full day of training before the camp and time to recuperate following the camp.
Our fundraising efforts for the July camp will begin in February and we hope to be able to subsidize the costs of the counselors’ airfare to and from Haiti as we have for the past camps at an average cost of $900.00 per person. All remaining fees (estimated at $1,500 per counselor) are the responsibility of the counselor and must be paid in accordance with a schedule provided by The Red Thread Promise upon acceptance into the program. These remaining costs will cover all ground transportation, accommodations at the hotels in Port-au-Prince and Kaliko Beach Club and meals during the trip. The total cost per counselor is approximately $2,500.00 before any applicable subsidization.
If you plan to do fundraising for your own trip expenses, we will gladly assist you in your efforts over the next several months. Please inquire when you send your completed application and I will contact you to discuss your ideas as well as those used by previous counselors successfully. We encourage all to apply and let us help you through fundraising. While it may seem daunting task, it can be fun and a highly rewarding experience.
If you would like an application to be a counselor at Camp Jake July 2013, we ask that you contact Kathy Korge Albergate by phone at 817.320.6522 or email at kathy@redthreadpromise.org. If you have any questions regarding the camp or being a counselor, please contact Tom Landry, Camp Jake Director at tom@redthreadpromise.org.
Given the number of applications we receive for counselor positions, we encourage you to return your Request for Application by February 20, 2013. Upon receipt of your completed application, a formal time-line will be provided for conference calls and fees. Please note that late applications cannot be considered for this session due to the logistical nature of this camp.
Questions and additional inquiries welcome!
Thank you.
Tom Landry, Camp Jake, Director
Kathy Korge Albergate, President, Founder
About Jake Richard, Camp Jake namesakeJake is a vibrant teenager with Duchenne Musclular Dystrophy, a rare and progressive disease that involves rapid degeneration of the muscles with a life expectancy in the late teens. Jake’s dream is to provide a unique summer experience for children with disabilities like his own in a supportive, barrier-free environment. Jake participates in the planning of camp activities and engages the campers via Skype.
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