Camp WA WA Segowea may be a small camp, but it has a BIG family making sure its future continues to shine brightly. More than ever, our young people need a place to unplug and connect with one another. Somewhere they can grow into leadership and strengthen their bond with nature. Somewhere they feel safe to be themselves and have the space to learn who they are. But how do we keep it going?
For generations, Camp WA WA Segowea has been a place where young people have come together to experience nature, build friendships, and develop skills. For nearly 100 years, we have been building an increasingly supportive and inclusive community on Harmon Pond in the Berkshires. For the vast majority of the time that WA WA has been running, it was affiliated with and run by a YMCA organization. However, for nearly a decade now, it has been run entirely by a network of passionate alumni volunteers.
Today, our camp thrives because of the dedication and love of those who once called it home (or still do!). There's no question that our program, culture, and safety standards are stronger than ever now that the future of WA WA Segowea rests in the hands of those who know it best: our alumni!
Our non-profit camp has always run on a shoestring, and has had a robust collection of alumni volunteers over the years. However, now that we no longer have the backing of a large organization, we rely on alumni for for donations of time, money, and skills more than ever before. It's no exaggeration to say that Camp WA WA runs on the sheer determination of those that believe in its mission.
We need your help to grow! The Smith Park board and our Executive Director Lily Mercogliano have big dreams for our little camp. We want to increase our capacity, to bring the WA WA magic to even more kids. We want to further develop program elements like art, leadership, and personal challenges. We want Lily to be able to focus less on paperwork and more on how to improve the WA WA experience and recruiting. And we are embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime project to restore the historic Main Lodge and Dining Hall and improve accessibility.
If you are a WA WA alum, or have one in your life, WE NEED YOU! Here are some ways that you can get involved:
Time - There are so many ways you can volunteer your time! This includes but is not limited to attending Work Weekends at camp, participating on a committee, assisting with fundraising, lending professional skills, and organizing larger volunteer efforts.
Fundraising - As a non-profit camp, we rely heavily on monetary donations to run our program, maintain our facilities, and to fund our scholarship program. In particular, our sustaining donors that give on a recurring basis (collectively known as the Chestnut Circle) improve our cash flow and ability to plan for the future. We have several campaigns that we run throughout the year - learn more about each on our Donation page!
Skills - Our board and its committees need members with a wide range of skills. Skills that are highly needed right now include expertise in law, facilities (carpentry, plumbing, etc.), human resources, non-profit administration, fundraising, public relations/social media, and more!
One simple step you can do RIGHT NOW to assist and join the network of alumni keeping the WA WA spirit alive is register as an alum. At a minimum, this will make sure our contact information for you is accurate, but the more detail you can provide on your registration about your skills and which volunteer activities you're interested in, the stronger camp WA WA will be.
There are so many ways you can help, and so much joy to be had. Please register today! If you have specific questions about the above, or are interested in becoming a board member or joining a committee, please email me at louise@smithpark.org.
Together, we are unstoppable!
Louise Van Alstyne
Vice-President of the Board (and Alum!)
Smith Park of NY and Smith Park of MA
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