Our Stories

Summer Camp 2015

Summer Camp 2015 – This summer, The Laurel Foundation ventured to a new location to host its Summer Camp. Hosted at Jameson Ranch Camp, just outside the Sequoia National Park, this 500 acre camp site was just what our campers wanted! Like never before, the children were introduced to so many new activities, such as mountain boarding, horseback riding, sailing, kayaking, zip lining, rock climbing and more. The kids truly had the time of their life!

This camp program offered not only brand new activities, but offered program time in which the kids could work towards achieving personal goals and enhancing their skill sets. The kids got to sleep under the starts in open cabins, and work on a farm tending the small animals, collecting eggs in the morning for breakfast and milking a cow. They learned how important it is to work together as a team to build a community.

When camp ended, all the kids wanted to stay! The magical world we had created will always be remembered and we look forward to our next summer Camp Laurel at Jameson Ranch Camp!

September 23, 2015 News, Program

October Donor Spotlight- Craig’s Crew

Craig’s Crew has been supporting The Laurel Foundation and the families we serve for years, donating meals for day events, the annual Holiday Party, volunteer training weekends, and so much more! Craig and his team truly have a heart for serving the kids and never hesitate to support our families in any way they can. Whether its grilling up hamburgers for 100 individuals at our Holiday Party or connecting us to resources within the community, Craig’s Crew is always willing to help out and step up.

Craig’s Crew is not just a strong supporter of The Laurel Foundation, they are also a strong advocate for many other service organizations in the Los Angeles community:

We put a high priority on giving back to our community, to those in need, and to mentoring others to become successful; regardless of their calling or situation.

Thank you Craig for all that you do for The Laurel Foundation and the many other nonprofits and service agencies you support! We so appreciate all that you do for our organization and can’t emphasize what an impact you’ve made on the children, youth and families we serve! We love you Craig’s Crew! See more of the great work Craig Tolliver and his company does by visiting their website, www.craigscrew.com.

September 1, 2015 Uncategorized

Confessions of a New Counselor

Camp Laurel was such an amazing and unforgettable experience. I first stumbled upon the Laurel Foundation through an email from my college. I read the short synopsis of what they do for children affected by HIV/AIDS and when I looked more into it, I found the camp counselor position to be very interesting and something I knew I would love to do.

August 2, 2015 Uncategorized, Volunteers

July Donor Spotlight – The North Face

This summer, The North Face is helping The Laurel Foundation get kids excited about exploring the outdoors through The North Face Explore Fund! The North Face Explore Fund is dedicated to helping kids experience the outdoors, and is a tireless advocate of the wonders and transformative nature of the outdoor world. The Explore Fund provides $500,000 annually in grants to nonprofits focused on helping kids get active and get outdoors!

The Laurel Foundation is honored to partner with The North Face Explore Fund this summer to provide even more dynamic programming for the at-risk children and youth attending our 2015 Summer Camp. Through this exciting program, we will be introducing the kids to a whole new view of the outdoors by providing a week of outdoor education activities, guaranteed to help the kids fall in love with the natural world!

Join The North Face and The Laurel Foundation’s movement to get kids exploring the natural world by trying a new outdoor activity! There are tons of ways to get get out and get active this summer. Start by joining The Laurel Foundation for free paddle board lessons, swimming, and beach sports at our upcoming Family Beach Day! Give your children a week of outdoor education, including horseback riding, rock climbing, kayaking, mountain boarding, and archery, at our 2015 Summer Camp program!

Adventure is calling!

July 10, 2015 Uncategorized

Message from a Former Camper

Hi Everyone my name is “Spike” which is my camp name or Erik in the real world.

I have been fortunate enough to be apart of Camp Laurel and The Laurel Foundation. It has changed my life.

My sister was diagnosis with AIDS and passed when I was 10 years old, She had a son Anthony who was 3 when she passed.

Living life in the real world was hard, people were scared of us. At that time people where prejudice, crude, and scared.

It was like I had to be secretive about my sister having AIDS and then secret about her passing, just to fit in. My family was devastated we all were finding ways to cope with life and it was hard.

My mom, went on to educated women about HIV/AIDS and got connected with organizations to learn more about the virus, and she found The Laurel Foundation.

Thank God She did. Home life was a bit of a mess: my parents were divorcing, my grandfather passed away, and I was giving in to peer pressure. I was a very rebellious child at the age of 13. I went to my first camp and I will never forget it.

It was a Fall Camp Laurel session and it was a trip to Space Camp in Northern California. I had never really been outside of Los Angeles so I was scared to meet all these new people. I came to realize that it was so much fun and then something happened. I got into some serious trouble. I was very rebellious and was told I would be sent home. Scared I pleaded that I would change my behavior. I have never been in a place where I was so accepted, free from society and free from the prejudices of HIV/AIDS. I didn’t want to go home. Margot Anderson (the Founder), bless her heart, saw something in me and gave me a second chance. Needless to say I was good from then on. I even received the Apollo award, at a later camp program, for being such a great role model for other campers. Me a role model, yes! From that one moment at my first camp my life was forever changed. I found a family that understood me, an extension of who I am.

I loved camp so much that when I started to grow up and it was time for me to move on … I just couldn’t! I decided to become a camp counselor.

Being the first or one of the first people to go from camper to counselor was an amazing experience. It gave me huge respect for the counselors I had as a child and all counselors. It was long hours, but so worth it. Plus, I had the energy for it. I loved my cabin kids and I saw myself in them at their age. Now I was able to give back to them, what The Laurel Foundation had given to me so graciously. It was the best time I had ever had.

But it didn’t stop there! So remember how I said my mom was a bit of a crusader well it’s true my mom suggested we create an AIDS Ride for The Laurel Foundation.

The ride was suggested to The Laurel Foundation by my mom and with the help of MANY, it was created. It was FANTASTIC and continues today as an annual fundraiser for The Laurel Foundation! My mom rode every year up until she couldn’t and then I jumped in and rode. My first bike was a mountain bike, heavy and rough. Every year after that first ride I would get better things … like a bike!

It is my highlight of my year to raise money and give back to The Laurel Foundation. Riding for the kids is an amazing experience.

The Laurel Foundation has change my life and given me a sense of self, honesty, fun, and family.

I am fortunate to have The Laurel Foundation in my life because if they weren’t, my life would be VERY DIFFERENT.

Thank you Margot for that second chance.

Thank you Laurel Foundation.

Love
SPIKE
aka Erik

June 29, 2015 Camper Story, Program

What Camp Laurel Means To Me

The Laurel Foundation became part of my life when I was 7 years old. My mom went to North County Health Services and they mentioned it to her as a way for me to be around other kids that were also affected by HIV/AIDS. My sister and I had an understanding that our mom was sick, but we didn’t really know exactly what it was.

June 3, 2015 Camper Story, Volunteers

Winter Family Camp Photos

May 29, 2015 Program

Winter Family Camp – A Parent Speaks Out

To The Laurel Foundation,

Mario and I would like to thank you for working with us on getting all that was necessary for us to attend Camp Laurel’s Winter session. We loved it! Mario is looking forward to attending summer camp this year. We met some fantastic people & will keep in touch with each other.

Please thank the many wonderful people who work with you to make these camps available to kids & families that would not be able to spend time in the mountains. You all have planted seeds in us that will continue to grow as the the years go by.

Again, with much appreciation,

Rosalinda Lozano and Mario Avila

March 29, 2015 Camper Story, Program

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK

I recently visited with one of our campers to introduce her to her new mentor through our LEAF Mentorship Program. As we all chatted I asked her if she had received her camp photo from Winter Family Camp. She said, “Oh yeah, it’s already up on my wall. You wanna see?” Her face lit up as she stood up to show us to her room. When we walked in the door I could hardly believe that this young teenager (you know how teens can sometimes be “too cool for school”) had her entire wall above her bed covered with years of pictures and memorabilia from Camp Laurel.
In that moment I couldn’t help but think of you; our amazing volunteers. You have made such an impact and become a source of joy and hope to so many of our families in a way that you couldn’t possibly know. You are the faces on their walls encouraging them and reminding them that someone believes in them. You are the memories in their hearts reminding them to laugh and try new things and to be adventurous. You are a part of them and a part of us.

The great men and women of our time were not necessarily the wealthiest or the most charismatic or even the most popular. They were people that possessed a generosity of spirit and a hopeful determination to see our world grow in love and service to others. Our volunteers are beautiful reflections of these legendary souls and we are undone with gratefulness for your commitment to The Laurel Foundation.

Next week is National Volunteer Week. We wish that there was something that we could give to each of you to show our gratitude, but our hands our empty. Our hearts however, are full of love and appreciation for you. You make a difference; you change lives.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts

Cheria Young

Director of Volunteers

Photo by Marcella Atallah

March 29, 2015 Volunteers

Be A Microvolunteer

In the non-profit world a common problem persists- there are many willing, generous and talented individuals who want to support a cause but, between work and personal life, just don’t have the time to commit to everything they want to. One easy solution to this is microvolunteering.

Microvolunteering- Easy, quick, low-commitment acts that benefit a worthy cause

You might not be able to commit to an entire camp session but you still feel passionate about The Laurel Foundation’s cause? Then microvolunteering is the way to go! Support The Laurel Foundation and the families it serves on your own time and from the comfort of home. Help with projects that can take anywhere from five minutes to an hour and make a huge impact while doing so.

There are so many ways that you can support The Laurel Foundation right now, and that only take a few minutes of your time. Things like:

Add DropBox to your computer:

The Laurel Foundation desperately needs more space on its DropBox back up system and the easiest way to get that is by referring new users! So do your own computer a favor and start backing up your computer today!

Email lfranklin@laurel-foundation.org to start backing up!

Translate camp applications and forms into Spanish:

¿Se habla español? Help The Laurel Foundation translate one of our many application forms into Spanish so we can better meet the needs of the families we serve!

Email aruiz@laurel-foundation.org to snag an application to work on tonight!

Promote volunteer opportunities on your campus:

Do you have access to a printer and a few extra minutes between classes? Help recruit new volunteers for camp this summer by hanging Camp Laurel flyers at your school! Spread the word and help grow the Camp Laurel family! Email lfranklin@laurel-foundation.org to get your flyers!

Support The Laurel Foundation online:

Help us get the word out about The Laurel Foundation’s events and volunteer needs by sharing our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Review us on VolunteerMatch and share what makes Camp Laurel so special!

Visit www.VolunteerMatch.org to share your stories!

April 15, 2014 Uncategorized

left