A Message from Judy
Because of you, 2023 was full of magic for 269 Amici campers and their families.
It has been a year of incredible growth and success at Amici, and when I look back on this year, I look back with gratitude. Gratitude for our partner camps, donors, volunteers, community partners and friends who supported Amici campers enjoying the life-changing power of camp in summer 2023.
Because of you, Amici’s campers experienced 583 weeks of camp programming at our 48 partner camps, discovering their strengths, stepping out of their comfort zones and becoming more confident, independent, and optimistic. I am proud to share that 29 campers enjoyed longer stays and 25 participated in leadership programs, where they learned life-long skills and life-changing lessons.
In addition, Amici completed two key strategic endeavours; a new visual identity, launched in April 2023 and an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Charter and Strategic Roadmap. While these endeavours were different in many ways, what they have in common is their importance for the future growth of Amici.
In mid April, we proudly launched our new look and became Amici Children’s Camp Charity, in order to provide our community with a clear and concise understanding of what we do and who we support. Our goal was to ensure that our entire community could identify with our new logo and to create a sense of inclusivity across the Amici community. By generating more awareness and recognition of the Amici brand, we are already fostering new partnerships within the camping community and deepening the impact of our donors’ support on our campers.
In addition to launching our new visual identity, we developed Amici’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Charter and Strategic Roadmap, supported by consulting group, Feminuity. Amici can and will work with our partner camps to increase representational diversity and create inclusive camping experiences for children from equity-deserving groups. Our goal is to strengthen the confidence and trust that new and existing camper families have in the quality and benefits of the camp experience. Amici will prioritize equitable access to our services, ensuring that our campers represent the wide diversity across Ontario. The implementation of our EDI strategy remains a top priority, as we know work in this space needs to be consistent and ongoing. Learn more about Amici’s EDI Charter and Strategic Roadmap here.
Amici’s efforts over the past year to prioritize inclusivity within our organization helped pave the way for the creation of the Camp Awakening Legacy Fund, which was established by Amici’s Board of Directors upon Camp Awakening’s recent closure. The fund, made possible by a generous gift from Camp Awakening, will be invested to generate income each year to support children and youth with physical disabilities to attend overnight summer camp. We look forward to continuing to update our community on the success of this initiative!
I hope you enjoy reading Amici’s 2023 Gratitude Report knowing you are significantly and positively shaping the lives of Amici campers and their families. Thank you for your steadfast belief in the power of camp!
With gratitude,
Judy MacGowan, CFRE, Executive Director
