Last Spring, we published our "Book of Dreams," a collection of pictures and essays by Family Intervention Services' kids. In the Book, they shared some of their dreams for the summer. Through the generous support of our donors, we were able to fulfill every wish that was featured in the Book. Here we share a sampling of some notes of appreciation we received from several children who benefitted from their summer experiences and some feedback from their clinicians.
A donor underwrote a trip to a national cheerleading competition for 9 year-old Arianna:
Dear Mrs. Warnock,
I hear you want to know about the trip to Hershey so hear we go! My Grandma, Mom, and me packed are bags and it took 3 hours to get there. And we were there first we saw the amusement park and went to our hotel and all of the cheerleaders were there and we had a blast and ran around the hotel. And later on we went to the pool and had so much fun and we all went to the gym. And later we went to the factory and we saw a 3D movie and it was awesome and we went back to the hotel and had dinner. I had to get ready early in the morning and get my uniform and cheer. We went to the giant center and we came in 5th place and after that we went on rides for 5 hours. It was the best time of my life and it was Mother's day and I was with my Mom and my Mom was with her Mom.
By Arianna
Arianna's Family Intervention Clinician wrote to Jeanne:
Dear Jeanne,
Enclosed is Arianna's letter about her trip to Hershey Park. Although she is only nine years old, she is a tall and strong girl, who is a "base" - the one who is at the bottom of the pyramid formation so characteristic of cheering. According to her grandmother, the girls performed very well, far better than their fifth place rating reflected. The team actually lost points because their perfectly performed pyramid demonstration was "too advanced" for their level.
Arianna was beaming when she announced that she had written to you. You will notice that her emphasis was on the fun she had, not the competition, and that the two most important people in her life were with her, on Mother's Day no less. It seems that the money was well spent.
Ruth Senior Clinician Family Stabilization Program
A donor underwrote the cost of sleep-away camp for four sisters:
Dear Friends,
I will like to thank you for letting the Sisters get an opportunity to spend a good time having fun. We appreciate the love, hope, and care that you provided for us. Thank you for letting the sisters be together and love each day that we are together.
Sincerely, The Sister
The Sisters' clinician wrote:
Dear Donors,
I am the Case Manager at FIS who arranged for four sisters to attend Camp Lenoloc, a sleep-away camp in New York State. The trip was made possible by a generous donor who supported FIS' Book of Dreams. The sisters, ages 12, 11, 9 and 6, are placed in different foster care homes, but this camp experience allowed the girls the unique opportunity to share a cabin all together for five days and four nights. In fact, this camp experience probably provided the greatest amount of family time for the sisters since child protective services needed to separate the children from their parents over two years ago.
The girls were eager to share the wide range of camp experiences with me. The two youngest sisters performed the Lenoloc camp songs with synchronized hand motions for me during a session following their trip. The youngest sister couldn't wait to tell me about the little fishes that were kissing her legs while she swam in the lake. I can only imagine how exciting it was for the girls, accustomed to the community pool, to have the chance to swim in a natural body of water. In fact, the 11-year-old sister's favorite activity was swimming in the lake and roasting marshmallows by the bonfire.
Speaking as a true "Tween," the oldest sister appreciated the time she had with her sisters, but she also enjoyed asserting her independence by making new friends and getting to know some of the international camp counselors. "I was really excited to have all my sisters with me at first...then they were a little embarrassing to be around when I was with my friends, but by the end I was grateful to have them with me." Ultimately, Camp Lenoloc deepened the sisters' relationships and expanded their worldview.
The girls each took home a beautiful photo of everyone in their cabin including their counselor, with a frame they decorated at camp. The youngest sister gave her picture and frame to her mother during a family visit explaining that, "I want my mom to have a picture with all of us happy." It was a comfort to know that despite their family's situation, the children can still recognize fun-filled episodes and seek to share those experiences with others. My hope is to have the sisters return to Camp next year to offer them a sense of consistency while encouraging further personal growth. Camp was a wonderful opportunity for these girls to build some carefree, positive childhood memories that they would otherwise not have experienced.
Sincerely, Corey Case Manager Kid Connection
Dear Jeanne,
The children who were fortunate to get their wish fulfilled for a camp experience this summer reported that they loved the swimming best of all. An overnight camp-out was a hit with one boy, and other favorites were playing games, especially dodge ball. The big question was, "Can I go again next year?" The summer break from boredom was truly a blessing for them and for their parents.
Ruth Senior Clinician
Thank you to everyone who helped to support our kid's dreams! Their memories will last a lifetime - thanks for making them possible.
