Summer at JFS means creating opportunities for refugee kids to attend camp! This year, JFS partnered for the second year in a row with Soccer Without Borders, and for the first time with The Performance Project to put on a free, four-day clinic from Saturday, June 25th – Tuesday, June 28th at Springfield College. Over eighty youth from ten countries came together to participate in team-building activities, soccer games, and bucket drumming workshops. It was inspiring to see how quickly youth from different backgrounds overcame language barriers and cultural differences to create new friendships in such a short period of time.
Kids are also attending summer camp at the Springfield Jewish Community Center J-Camp and Playful Minds, which run for the whole summer. These camps offer important opportunities for children to expand their English language skills and their social circles. After only one week, many campers have already moved from the beginner to the intermediate swimming group, have successfully navigated ropes courses with the help of their fellow campers, and have connected with new friends!
Thank you to the Seven Hills Foundation for their assistance in securing DTA vouchers for 36 children to make camp affordable for the families, and to our volunteers and staff who orchestrated rides to make camp accessible!
