Opportunity Beyond Camp
“I like to do cartwheels, they keep me calm.” Amani, one of our Beyond Camp recipients wrote these very words in her application to The Felix Organization in February, 2017. Growing up in foster care, Amani did not have funds to cover gymnastics classes at her nearby gym. Through Beyond Camp, The Felix Organization made it possible for Amani to follow this seemingly small, but very significant dream.
The Beyond Camp program at The Felix Organization has been providing opportunities like this for children growing up in foster care, just like Amani, for the last five years.
2017 has been an exciting year for Beyond Camp, our grant-giving initiative that gives foster youth the opportunity to pursue their interests and sharpen their skills during the school year. This year, Amani and her two siblings, Trayshon and Andrea, are taking gymnastics classes. They have been through many home placements and have now found stability with a family member. Being enrolled in gymnastics has given them a positive way to express themselves and practice focus and self-discipline through this trying time.
When our campers are at Camp Felix, they participate in activities that they may not be part of when camp is over, including dance, swimming, art, sports and more. We believe that our children deserve to learn, grow, and enjoy themselves even when camp is not in session. So in 2012, we launched the Beyond Camp grant program.
The support Felix provides is not limited to the summer season. Through Beyond Camp, Felix grants funding to NYC and LA youth in foster care for extracurricular activities throughout the year. In the past, Beyond Camp distributed funds for dance lessons, gymnastics, college textbooks, sports leagues, photography equipment, tutoring, laptops for school and more.
So far this year, we have provided grants for swimming lessons, a softball league, french language classes and a gym membership! One of our 2016 Beyond Camp recipients, Zarreon, enjoyed his Freerunning classes so much that he applied to receive a grant for classes again in 2017.
In his application essay, Zarreon said, “You are making one kid in California very happy.”
We are grateful to provide these resources for our children, and our youth are so proud and excited to receive these opportunities to pursue their dreams and passions! Beyond Camp is only possible because of the generosity of our donors and supporters. Thank you to everyone who continues to make this program possible.
If you are interested in applying for a Beyond Camp mini-grant, the application can be found below:
