Summer Brightens for Some Kids of New York Troops
Monday, July 14, 2008
New York, NY — Several dozen young New Yorkers whose parents are at war soon will get a time-out from tension. Today, the Sierra Club announces it will provide a $1.5 million grant to send children of National Guard soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan to summer camp free of charge; some 2,000 of the soldiers are New Yorkers.
Brittany McKee, Sierra Club's military representative, says that since 2007, when the Sierra Club began teaming up with the Armed Services YMCA to provide the camp, 4,000 kids have been able to go to camp nationwide.
"It's not just nature walks and campfires. They do a lot of team-building exercises so kids learn to depend on each other. That's especially important for a lot of kids who don't live on a military base-—these children often don't have a lot of friends who can really relate to having a parent deployed."
Beverly Keating, director of Family Programs for the National Guard, agrees that attending camp is a great opportunity for National Guard families because they have a smaller support system than families who live on military bases. Those with parents serving in Iraq or Afghanistan will get first crack at the funds.
"These children don't have as much of an opportunity, because they are scattered all over the state, to be with other children that share the same types of things: It's a unique challenge to the child of a military person."
Sixty New York kids will go to camp in August courtesy of the Sierra Club. Military families can sign up at the Armed Services YMCA website, www.asymca.org, where additional information about the funding is available.
get more stories like this via email
Health and Wellness
A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …
Social Issues
Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …
Social Issues
Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…
Social Issues
A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …
Social Issues
Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …
Social Issues
Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…