Stories

Each Tuesday, SHARE Omaha features a unique cause theme for #GivingEveryTuesday and encourages us all to give and support in any way we can! This week's #GivingEveryTuesday theme is nonprofits hosting Camps. Hear about the magic these nonprofits are creating and help fund their work!

Go Beyond

Ian Kimmer, executive director of Go Beyond, shares, "One thing will be true of every nonprofit camp you donate to - you are helping provide a potentially life-changing experience for those who may never otherwise have access. It's not the solution to all needs, but transformative opportunities are far less available to underserved communities, though the impact is potentially far greater."

Go Beyond offers a potentially life-changing year-long program, highlighted by the world-class mountain trip of a lifetime, to trauma-impacted youth. 

Go Beyond is seeking support. "Money, volunteers, ideas, time, resources. Everything. There is no magic behind nonprofits. It's people working very hard to serve others through impactful missions, usually with very few resources and modest compensation at best. Especially the small nonprofits - one person stepping up to help in any way they can might change the whole trajectory of a mission, and so all of the lives it may impact," says Ian.

Donate to Go Beyond

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Calvin Crest Camp, Conference and Retreat Center

Craig Hoffman, executive director of the Calvin Crest Camp, Conference and Retreat Center shares, "It is important to donate to nonprofits that offer Camps because this allows us to maintain the staff, facilities and programs in a way that meets the needs of the community, while still remaining affordable to those who want to participate."

Calvin Crest is making the community better by providing residential summer camp opportunities for kids to spend time in community with near-peer mentors and caring adults in a natural environment that encourages kids to be kids. 

Calvin says, "One thing that Calvin Crest needs from the community is participating in the activities, camps and programming that occur here.  Each participant allows us to utilize donations in more significant ways for facility renovations and new programming opportunities." 

Donate to Calvin Crest Camp, Conference and Retreat Center

Camp Rivercrest 

Andy Dykhouse, executive director of Camp Rivercrest shares, "Outdoor, environmentally friendly places are hard to come by in cities. It's important that the community take part in preserving places that protect the environment." 

Camp Rivercrest believes that most people struggle to focus on what matters most. "So, we create the space to focus on God and each other. It's easy to focus on yourself, and most people do, but if the metro area was more focused on God and others, it would be a much better place."

"Volunteering at Camp Rivercrest enables our staff to get more done. We have lots of outdoor projects, but especially landscaping and firewood processing," says Andy.  

Donate to Camp Rivercrest

Midwest YouCan Foundation 

Meg Busing of Midwest YouCan Foundation shares, "Epilepsy can add quite a bit of cost to a family. We want to keep camp affordable for families! Donations also help us purchase camp supplies, medical supplies, food, transportation, and so on!"

Midwest YouCan Foundation is providing an opportunity for kids with epilepsy in the Midwest to attend a camp with nurses, a doctor and trained staff to help with seizures. This is the only camp that some of our campers will ever be able to attend due to their seizures. We continue to change lives year after year by providing this experience! And parents are getting to have alone time for the first time in years because their child is in safe hands at Camp YouCan! It powerfully impacts the entire family."

"We need donations so that we can continue providing camp for families," says Meg.  

Donate to Midwest YouCan Foundation

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Heart Heroes  

Kitty Burton, founding director of Heart Heroes, shares, "Camp Brave Heart provides a safe and supportive environment where children with CHD can thrive, make friends, and embrace their abilities while providing parents with the comfort of knowing their child's medical needs are being met." 

Heart Heroes is supporting and empowering the 1 in 100 children affected by CHD through programs, events, and education.

"Donating to Camp Brave Heart ensures that financial barriers don't prevent families from accessing these valuable resources, fostering inclusivity and support for all families affected by CHD," says Kitty. 

Donate to Heart Heroes

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Virtus et Vertias Ministries 

Jeb Vavak of Virtus et Veritas Ministries shares, "While camps and outdoor adventure activities have always been a positive experience for youth, today they are more critical than ever as young people spend up to 9 hours per day in front of a screen, according to the CDC." 

"At Virtus et Vertias Ministries they are making the metro a better place by forming our youth in virtue, which has been classically understood as the path to human flourishing but is no longer taught in our society."

 "In addition to financial support, we ask for prayers. Not everyone can be involved in the organization day-to-day, but they can lend vital support by praying for the youth we serve," says Jeb. 

Donate to Virtus et Vertias Ministries   

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Mid-America Council, Boy Scouts of America 

Rebecca Lowe of the Mid-America Council, Boy Scouts of America shares, "Children’s exposure to natural spaces, like those experienced at Camp Cedars, Mid-America Council’s resident camp near the beautiful Platte River, has been associated with improved cognitive function, stress resilience, coping with negative emotions, and imagination and creativity, as well as the accelerated development of motor, communication, and decision-making skills. It is essential to the mission of the Mid-America Council (MAC) to keep Scouting affordable for all children. Each year MAC provides financial assistance in the form of 'camperships' to Scouts from families in need who could not otherwise afford summer camp. These camperships are possible because of the generous financial support of our donors. At MAC summer camps, youth surpass their greatest expectations, try new things, make new friends, and develop character—all while making memories and having the time of their lives."

Every day, youth involved in Scouting are making a difference in their communities. Whether they are cleaning up trash in parks or building memorials to honor veterans, Scouts experience firsthand the impact they can have when they embody the principles of the Scout Oath and Law and “Do a good turn daily.” Scouting meets the needs of today’s youth through fun and challenging activities that promote leadership and responsibility. With the support of trained adult leaders, boys and girls in the program learn self-confidence and develop personal values guided by the ideals of Scouting.

"Scouting makes a difference in the life of every youth member we serve. We would be grateful for the community’s advocacy for the benefits of the Scouting. Members of the community can encourage young people to join a local Cub Scout Pack or Boy Scout Troop," says Rebecca. 

Donate to Mid-American Council, Boy Scouts of America

Choose your ways to donate today and uplift Music in the greater Omaha/Council Bluffs metro!

All Camp nonprofits