Care Camps, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing outdoor experiences for children and family members affected by childhood cancer, is launching an ambassador program. According to Care Camps, the program will facilitate support connections and help the organization meet the needs of children afflicted with the disease.
“As our organization continues to grow, we see an opportunity to establish a group of individuals who are passionate about our cause and who can actively represent and promote Care Camps on a personal level,” said Mark Lemoine, vice-chair of the Care Camps Board of directors. “As we develop our ambassador program, we will broaden our reach geographically while creating more personal connections. Modeled after similar programs within local chambers of commerce, this is an opportunity to strategically expand our efforts without expanding our administrative costs.”
In 2022, Care Camps funded over 132 specialized oncology camps across the United States and Canada, impacting thousands of children and their families. Oncology camps are an essential part of the healing process, the organization said, and they provide an opportunity for every child diagnosed with cancer and their family members to experience resiliency, joy and hope by connecting with each other in the outdoors.
Care Camps Marketing and Communication Manager Erica Lanter said the ambassador program will be modeled after a similar community outreach program used by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce. Lemoine is deeply involved in that program. Ambassadors will make face-to-face visits with donors, connect with campgrounds and support fundraising efforts.
“We used that as our inspiration template,” Lanter said. “We have a lot of people that connect with us and say ‘What can I do? How can I do something besides donate? How can I be an advocate for you?’”
The program will furnish volunteers with a defined way to help Care Camps, Lanter said.
The ambassador positions will be primarily voluntary, and they are still being outlined, Lanter said. The organization plans to start small, educating about a dozen ambassadors about Care Camps’ specific message, and will patiently grow the program in the coming years.
“Just like we have camps across the United States and Canada, we would love to have ambassadors in those regions,” she said. “It would be amazing in Colorado if an ambassador could reach out to the camps right now and say, ‘Happy New Year, what do you need, what are you looking for from Care Camps?’”
She said a great ambassador does not necessarily have to know a lot about Care Camps, if they have a passion for the cause. The ambassador program will be a joint function of Care Camps staff with support from the board of directors.
“We envision the ambassadors as an extension of our staff,” Lemoine said, “providing fundraising support, personally thanking donors and being an advocate for Care Camps are key components of the program.”
Lanter said 2023 is an exciting year for Care Camps and the organization has a lot of irons in the fire. Care Camps intends to select and train ambassadors by early spring.
For ambassador application information, contact Care Camps at [email protected].
