Although volunteer efforts happen all year long, every day in April is dedicated to promoting and celebrating volunteerism during National Volunteer Month. Communities do not thrive on their own and without people donating their time and passions to causes they care about; most nonprofits would look extremely different – including Tamarack Camps! I wanted to take some space in this month’s newsletter to recognize the amazing people who dedicate their time, energy, and talents to our timeless treasure.
There is such widespread volunteerism across our agency – committed individuals who step up and help out in numerous ways. From board and committee members to weekly volunteers at the Farber Farm – we have hit the volunteer lottery! There are many stories that illustrate the impact of volunteer participation; yet, during this time of COVID, I felt it was particularly important to highlight our Medical Committee.
During the past 13 months, Tamarack Camps has relied heavily on our volunteer Medical Committee to guide us from the decision to cancel camp in the summer of 2020 to develop plans for the upcoming season. They have worked tirelessly to analyze and educate us on virus transmission and its medical effects. Early on in the life of this virus, I participated in phone calls with dozens of other camps. These were well-run, veteran camps – blown away by the medical committee assembled at our camp.
The Medical Committee worked closely with the professional team to develop COVID protocols and precautions that will allow us to open safely this summer – a time when camp is exactly what children need. And, just this past Wednesday, I am proud to say that our Medical Committee and CEO took the national stage (virtually) to share our COVID health and safety practices with leaders across the country at the JCCs of North America Professional Conference.
Our Medical Committee also led Tamarack Camps’ vaccine clinic earlier this month – staffed by our professionals, Medical Committee members, and of course, more volunteers, who came out to Federation on a Sunday to be part of this special day where 107 individuals were vaccinated.
Ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of our children is important work – it extends beyond our organization and even beyond our own community. I am proud that we continue to be a leader in this arena – thanks to the might of many behind us. As we look forward to a summer at “The Greatest Place on Earth” we send a special and heartfelt thank you to all those who have helped make it possible…Happy National Volunteer Month!