Summer Quarterly News From HCAF HCAF Summer Quarterly News!Hello Heritage Camps Families and Friends! Here it is, the official last week of summer! I realize for most of you summer ended weeks ago when school started, but it really is over on September 21st. Then my favorite season of autumn begins! Cooler days, crisper nights, autumn moons, simmering chili on the stove, apple cider, family game nights, and yes, I admit, the ubiquitous pumpkin spice latte. I love it all, and hope you will enjoy it with your families too! This quarter we talk about the great summer of camps we had, provide you with some links to information that some of our presenters enlightened us with this summer, give you the results of the Ohio State University study on internationally adopted children and academics. We have another new staff member to introduce, and our quarterly Why We Do It, and The Camp Impact sections. So, grab that last glass of summer lemonade or iced tea (or whatever you prefer), and read on! Pam Sweetser, Executive Director 2017 Camps - 1,006 Families Strong!It was so wonderful to see 1,006 families at our 10 camps over the summer! The amazing thing about the camps is how unique and special each one is. We have an “HCAF recipe” to follow, but it is so exciting to see how each camp mixes it up, adding and subtracting their own “ingredients” to fit the needs of their campers, from little ones to parents, to the community educators and entertainers, to the counselors! Speaking of which, we had 375 incredible volunteer counselors working hard at our camps this summer! Their dedication to our kids of all ages, and to our cause never ceases to amaze us all. They truly are the “heart and soul” of each camp, and we can never thank them enough! We also had 558 presenters, entertainers, and community volunteers who came to make every camp the authentic cultural and adoption experiences that they are. We can’t do it without their support, knowledge and talent, and we appreciate them very much! Families and guests came from far and wide to camps this summer, including France, Italy, China, Korea, Guatemala, and more. We had families here from Texas, Florida, and all the western states affected by the wild fires, and we hope you are all doing ok. Let us know if and how we can help – we have quite an “army” of folks across this country! It is also so important to thank the hundreds and hundreds of parent volunteers who make their camps happen every summer; the Camp Directors, who take on the leadership roles w can’t do without, the Camp Coordinators, who take a piece of their camp, call it their own, and make it fly, and ALL the parents who volunteer to drives middle school kids around, flip hundreds of pieces of chicken on the grill, take cash and credit at the camp markets, set up silent auctions, festivals, fiestas, socials, help in the kid’s workshops, and in the camp village, take pictures, and so, so much more! Camp is run on volunteer power, and it is so good to see that working its magic at every camp! There are still opportunities to get involved with a few of the camps at the planning stages. Please contact us if you are interested in a coordinator role, and we’ll let you know what’s open for your camp! Adoptee Meetup July 2017!We also had a successful, fun Adoptee Meetup in late July that will now continue as “meet-ups” frequently, driven by the adult adoptees who attended this summer. If you are interested, please email us to let us know, and we’ll be sure to pass along your information to the organizers. It was such a good way to connect and now continue these important relationships among adoptees. Saying Good-Bye…and Hello!This was the final camp summer for our dear Program Director, Patty Quinn. She has been on staff with HCAF for 10 years, and at the end of 2017 is going off into the retirement sunset, soon to have summer’s free and easy, with hopefully lots of relaxation, travel, and time with her ever supportive family. Thank you, Patty, for your awesome years of true dedication to HCAF. We’ll miss you greatly, but know you’re never far away! If you would like to send farewell wishes to Patty, her email is: pq9294@comcast.net. With Patty’s departure comes a welcome to our newest staff member, Lisa Sevcik! She will be jumping into Patty’s responsibilities, but with a new title, Director of Information and Community Relations! Lisa is originally from Chicago, Illinois but has called Colorado home since 1995. As the mother of 2 biological daughters and a son born in Guatemala, Lisa knows first-hand the value of connections forged through the camp experience. She and her husband have been attending Latin American Heritage Camp since 2009 during which Lisa served as a coordinator, director for 4 years and an HCAF board member for 2 years. After a 25-year career as a software engineer and manager at Lockheed Martin, Lisa is excited about serving the HCAF community as the “new Patty”. In her position as Director of Information and Community Liaison, Lisa supports camp coordinators, directors, counselors and cultural community members organize and facilitate camp planning meetings and timelines as well as execute camp themes, review workshops/activities, maintain the integrity and spirit of cultural authenticity and family participation. In her spare time, Lisa enjoys making heritage camp T-shirt quilts and dreaming of exotic travel destinations. We’re excited to have Lisa join or staff of four; Pam Sweetser, Executive Director; Karen Melusky, also with a new title, Director of Operations and Programming, and Marissa Tafura, Director of Development and Marketing. We're a great team ready to roll into the 2018 camp season, and then some! And one More Good-Bye - to Cambodian Heritage Camp!Yes, 2017 marked a bittersweet farewell to Cambodian Heritage Camp after 14 wonderful years! There have been no adoption to the U.S. now since 2002 or so. Therefore, the vast majority of our campers are now seniors in high school, so camp ended as we know it. There will be reunions, and of course, our Cambodian campers, parents, counselors, and presenters are WELCOME to join our exciting Southeast Asian/Pacific islander Heritage Camp, which got off to an amazing start this year! But it won’t be the same….and we at HCAF will miss our CAMHC families, counselors, and community volunteers like crazy. It was a wonderful celebration of love and joy and community spirit at this summer’s last camp! One of our campers, Marineth Huffaker, said it so well. "You don't realize how much something has impacted your life until it's over" As much as I may have complained about going camp to my mom because I had some "important event" going on, or how much I pretended that I didn't get anything out of the experience... This camp changed my life. It's crazy how 26 days over a period of 13 years can make a difference. I cannot thank you all enough for being a part of my family.
News You Can Use!Below are a variety of informational links to materials you can use throughout the year, from some of our excellent camp presenters this summer. Also, the results of the Ohio State Study on international adoptees and education. There are links to three adoption conferences/workshops coming up soon (send us those in your area and we’ll let people know about them!), and finally some information about talking to your kids about immigration issues like DACA. What? I Thought We were Done with US Immigration?Presented by Christine Swenson, Immigration Attorney & Chinese Heritage Camp mom! There are a variety of materials from this workshop that was offered at some of our camps this summer. including the PowerPoint Presentation and contact information for a 20-minute free consultation can be found at the following links 2. International Adoption Presentation (slides) 3. HCAF Attorney Consult Form (if you need more help) 4. Questions for Hiring an Attorney 5. Adoption Today Article (on the topic) Supporting Your Child through Early AdulthoodDr. Chaitra Wirta-Leiker presented very timely and relevant information. Please email Chaitra at info@growbeyondwords.com for a copy of the presentation Know Your RightsA workshop for both parents and teens about what to do when pulled over by police, and how to stay safe was presented at some of our camps by Denver civil rights attorneys Qusair Mohamedbhai and Siddhartha Rathod and former Indian/Nepalese Camp counselors! The slide show from the powerful Know Your Rights sessions has been made available and can be found at this link. Understanding Academic Motivation Profiles Among Internationally Adopted ChildrenMany of our campers participated in this study, conducted by one of our Cambodian Heritage Camp parents, Dr. Eric Anderman and his team at Ohio State. ATTACh Conference - Oct 12-14 in Denverhttp://www.attach.org/attach-events/the-29th-attach-conference-2017/ Our conference is for Psychotherapists, Psychoanalysts, Social Workers, MFTs, Counselors, Occupational Therapists, Educators, Parents & Caregivers of Children with Attachment Difficulties, and other Child Welfare Stakeholders. Race and Adoption-the Crossroads - October 6 & 7 - Denver.Presented by Astrid Debbeni, adoptee and Latin American Heritage Camp presenter “This was by far the safest space I have ever experienced learning about my own racial identity as a white mom and how I can navigate tough conversations about race and racism with my child.” Here is the link for families to register: Male Impact Summit - Adoption Search Resource Connection - October 13 in Coloradohttps://www.asrconline.org/events-1/0c713523-0e6f-4f55-a174-2ab92f96b519 Men! We know you enjoy active variety more than events where you sit, listen and stare at PowerPoint slides all day. So we created this engaging, challenging and interactive mountain Summit designed for men (18+) in the Adoption Triad. Check it out! Talking with Your Kids About ImmigrationMany families are wondering how to talk with their kids about a surge in anti-immigration sentiments and policies, including the revocation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that happened recently. Though there now seems to be some open dialog happening around this subject in Washington, it is still not resolved, and very much in the media. These conversations are particularly important with our adopted kids, since many of them may identify with the experiences of immigrants and share a racial identity with those so often targeted. Here are some books, short videos, and discussion questions families can use to start talking about immigration. Conversations about complex but important topics like these allow us to shape the narrative with our kids -- immigrants enrich this country and they belong here, and we are committed to respecting the humanity of all people! Why We Do It!One of our signature programs at every camp is "This is Me" for the high school campers. It was particularly impactful this year, according to its creator and presenter, Fran Campbell. In her words: The primary goal of the "This Is Me" program at HCAF is to give the High School Campers the tools to confidently express their heritage and the ability to protect their self-identity as they mature into young adults. In the face of today’s deliberate racism and devastating ignorance, these aren’t easy things to do for anyone – and it is undoubtedly more complicated for an adoptee. The focus of "This Is Me" during the past two summers has been on Courageous Conversations about Race; how to communicate feelings of being discriminated against because of the color of their skin or the country that they came from. The Campers have explored their own motivations within their self-identity. They have learned to identify micro-aggressions that assail them from every direction. And they have worked on finding the words to confront those who refuse to understand them or who have hurt them. These are the tools we all need to confront the reality of our world today. This is a conversation that the Campers have with leaders from their own ethnic community; mature mentors who enthusiastically share their experiences and coping skills. Also joining the conversation are the Counselors, some of whom are “graduates” of the This Is Me program. Most importantly, the Campers talk to each other and learn from their peers what works and what doesn’t. It’s an uneasy conversation that doesn’t always have a satisfactory conclusion…but it’s the beginning of a dialogue that the Campers can continue with their families and peers. Over the years, many of the Campers have expressed feelings of fear, anger and sadness when confronted with micro-aggressions and stereotyping. It's not only bullies that jeer at them, it is, often, family and friends that do the most injury. But, simultaneously, these same Campers confess that they don't always share these feelings with their parents because they don't believe their family will understand, that they "won't get it." This only serves to increase feelings of desperate isolation. HCAF and "This Is Me" offers a safe place to share, to find out that they're not alone in these feelings. And the communication skills that the workshop focuses on hopefully opens a dialogue that the entire family can participate in throughout the year. Please feel free to contact Fran at frandenver@yahoo.com about our “This is Me” program at any time. The Camp Impact!Wonderful words about the impact of fours days a summer, written by one of the "original" Cambodian Heritage Camp Counselor's, Kimsua Chay. It's not goodbye but rather till we meet again... That's what I told myself yesterday as I stood hand in hand with my fellow counselors singing through the memories as I watched the end of an incredible fourteen year chapter in my life. The build up to the final and last ever Cambodian Heritage Camp in its current form was a bittersweet one. I long ago decided to not think about the end but rather to simply soak up every moment of camp as it was and remember all of the incredible memories that were destined to be made. To all the camp kids, stay strong in your journey and know that you are some of the most courageous people I know. To all the parents, words cannot describe your love and dedication towards your children. To all my fellow community members, you make the impossible happen and kill it every year with the awesome food. To all my fellow counselors, I can't begin to describe my gratitude for all of your hard work and dedication. It's been an honor and a privilege to have worked with you. You all know the saying, every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end. So it's not goodbye but till we meet again. Love ya guys! Monthly Donations Have an Impact!Help us keep 9 camps and our signature programs going strong! From April to July, we processed 32 monthly recurring donations. The maximum monthly donation was just $20 -- an amount many of us wouldn't even notice -- but over the course of the year these donations will add up to just a few dollars short of $7,000! Thank you! What an incredible gift of stability for HCAF! Can we get 20 more people to sign up at $20 a month? That's nearly $5,000 more per year that helps us strengthen our programs and expand our reach! Donate monthly HERE TODAY! |