What is the Bridge2Life Camp and Youth Support Network mission?
The mission of Bridge2Life Camp is to) enrich the lives of children of substance abusers with:
1) a first-ever exciting, encouraging and unforgettable summer camp experience, and 2) a year-round Youth Support Network following up on the camp to provide a lifeline of events and activities to prevent children of substance abusers from falling prey to the risks of next-generation substance abuse, and family activities to strengthen the parent/child relationship and connection.

What organization is behind Bridge2Life Camp, and what is their mission?
LESC is a nonprofit dedicated to providing treatment and care for New Yorkers living with chemical dependency and mental illness. Recent experience at LESC convinced our treatment professionals that those most affected by substance abuse are the children of substance abusers. So LESC has expanded its mission to address the needs of the vulnerable children of substance abusers.

Where will the camp be located?
When the camp opens in 2009, our plan is to purchase a property or camp within a 2-hour driving distance of New York City. Our Camp Weekend, this coming Columbus Day weekend, will be held at Clearpool Education Center in Carmel, New York.

How many children will the camp serve?
Bridge2Life Camp will serve 120 campers each 2-week summer camp session. We will serve campers from the New York City area to begin, and expand to where needed as the Camp evolves. For our trial run Camp Weekends the first two camp development years, we will host about 25
campers to evaluate our treatment plans to end next-generation substance abuse.

How many staff will be employed at the Camp?
Providing abundant staff for the camp is critical to creating a supportive setting that maximizes the camp experience. Initially for the 2007 Camp Weekend, we plan for a staff of 25. For our ultimate Camp, we plan to have a staff numbering 65 to 75 people. What activities, programs and services will the Camp provide? Bridge2Life Camp will offer reparative activities including: swimming, games, camp races, hiking, bonfires, nature walks, volleyball, story telling, crafts, low ropes teambuilding, etc. In addition, Camp will help build healthy relationships between campers, and develop caring and trustworthy connections with adult counselors fostering recovery from abuse and neglect.

When do you expect to open the Camp?
We plan to open Bridge2Life Camp the summer of 2009, after researching and evaluating our camp programs and plan over the next two years, which will help provide feedback as to how to best assess best practices and successful outcomes.

Will the Camp be the only service you offer children of substance abusers?
Once kids complete their Bridge2Life Camp experience, we will also provide a Youth Support Network offering a year-round lifeline of on-going activities, events and communications as clinical components to address the unmet needs of campers

.Will LESC prepare and reassure campers for their first camp experience?
LESC research shows that of 313 children of our treatment clients, only 4 have ever attended a sleep-away camp. So to prepare children, Bridge2Life Camp will take every precaution to protect the well being of campers in preparation for the October 2007 Camp Weekend. We have three
pre-Camp Weekend events planned during the summer for campers and their parents to educate and acclimate them to their camp experience. Also as a part of our Youth Support Network, we will involve campers year-round with a lifeline of activities and communications to keep their healing fresh and consistent.

What is the purpose of Camp Weekends and preparation activities?
The purpose of our Camp Weekends is to assess the results of our comprehensive and first-ever treatment plan in a real-life camp situation. We will evaluate our camp plans, the balance between clinical and recreational components, camper and counselor interaction, and readiness to launch our
camp in 2009. Lasting and caring connections take time to form, and program development will target’ best practices’ to accomplish them. Research and program evaluation, which will take place over the next two years, will help provide feedback as to how we measure successful outcomes for our camp.
Our first Camp Weekend is scheduled for Columbus Day weekend October 2007.

What will make the Camp a success for the kids, the families and LESC?
· For the kids, Camp will be a success if they make new friends, take walks with their counselors, and have fun in a relaxed, easygoing and supportive setting.
· For families, Camp will be a success if it instills a deeper sense of trust and understanding among family members, closer relationships, and strengthens commitments to end next-generation substance abuse.
· For LESC, the Camp and Youth Support Network will have succeeded if we create a moment when campers walk peacefully in the woods hand-in hand with a camp counselor to realize adults can be trusted and there are more hopeful and positive ways of life.

How will LESC raise funds to support the Camp and Youth Support Network?
LESC will apply for grants and donations from City, State and Federal agencies, foundations, corporations and individuals. We will use special events to raise funds, such as a Gala this November to include politicians, celebrities, entertainment and a professional produced video of the
Camp Weekend.

How much money does LESC need to conceptualize, plan and conduct a trial-run Camp Weekend in 2007?
We will raise $250,000 to fund the conception, plan development, staffing and implementation of a trial run Camp Weekend in October 2007. The objective of the Camp Weekend is to assess the details, values and future of our overall camp plan.

How much money does LESC need to launch Bridge2Life Camp in 2009?
LESC will begin a capital campaign in late 2007 to raise $20 million to purchase and build or renovate the camp; hire the appropriate year-round and part-time staff; cover 3--years of operating expenses; and launch the camp in 2009. If we decide to finance the camp and construction, we lower our fundraising target to $15 million.

Are there other camps with the same Bridge2Life Camp mission?
There are existing camps serving at-risk children from inner cities, but none specifically targeting the unique and alarming needs of children of substance abusers with customized camp and on-going supportive treatment programs to end next-generation substance abuse.

When the Camp and Youth Support Network are successful, what’s next?
Once our Bridge2Life Camp succeeds serving children in the NYC area, our goal is to be able to serve children where the need exists. We are basing Bridge2Life Camp on Paul Newman’s Association of Hole-In-The-Wall Gang Camps model for children with terminal diseases, and to serve our at-risk population by ending next-generation substance abuse.