This summer, REACH was able to register 12 kids (ages 3.5 to 13\nyears old) who have experienced domestic violence to attend summer camp thanks\nto the support of our funding partners, the Steve Glidden Foundation and Hayley\nYaffe, the Director of Family Support and Subsidized Services YMCA of\nGreater Boston. We are so grateful for the support of our community partners\nfor allowing children from both our shelter and our Community Advocacy Program\nto experience the joys of summer camp. Camp provides a safe and positive\nenvironment where children can develop healthy relationships with peers and it keeps\nkids engaged, safe, healthy, and learning throughout the summer months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to one family, their son was recently exposed to\ndomestic violence and was in need of a safe space to enjoy the summer and\nsocialize with children his age. This family does not normally have the ability\nto participate in any extracurricular activities, so being able to send their\nson to camp was an opportunity they never thought they would have. Another\nfamily told us that summer camp will allow their two children to break the\ncycle of abuse and poverty that they are exposed to in their community by\nlearning new skills and meeting peers from other communities that they can\nlearn from. One little girl wanted to learn to swim this summer and camp will\ngive her the means to achieve this goal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n