Campers come from caring and loving homes and attend camp because they need therapy programs or special services during the summer months. Parents also agree that it is important for their children to develop social skills.

Before coming to camp, some of the campers have never experienced an environment that is conducive to learning positive things. Others are ostracized by their peers for being different in some way, or have very low self-esteem because they have been teased by other children for things they cannot do as well.

The objective of the camp is to change the lifestyle of the campers from being totally dependent on others to becoming self-reliant. The positive outcome carries over to their families and others in the physically and mentally challenged community. The camp provides the core assets and competencies to help each camper develop effective problem-solving and decision-making skills.

There are six different sessions available at Camp Grassick from June through August, which serve around 125 children and 75 adults. In addition to a staff of 40 caregivers, college students work at the camp each summer, gaining valuable hands-on experience in the fields of special education and healthcare. In many cases, staff members have pursued health care careers as a result of their positive experiences at Camp Grassick.

The different camps throughout the summer include:

• Three-week Session/Therapy Camp Therapy camp for children between the ages of 7 and 15 with various disabilities and special needs.

• Two-week Camping Session Camp for children between the ages of 7 and 17 who do not need as much individual attention as the three-week campers, teaching the children social interaction with their peers in a positive environment.

• One-week Transitional Camp Session for young adults age 17-19, including workshops, classes and recreational activities that prepare young adults for the transition of moving from high school and living at home to independent living situations and jobs.

• Recreational Adult Camp Five-day camp for adults, 21 years or older, with disabilities and special needs. Includes crafts, swimming, boating and recreational activities.

• NDAB Summer School Session Camp for blind or visually impaired adults, 18 years or older, hosted in cooperation with the North Dakota Association of the Blind.

At each session, the staff helps campers build positive self-esteem and teaches them how to interact more appropriately in relationships with their mentors, peers and families. They work on speech, language, reading, perceptual, motor and coordination skills.

Recently, a new computer lab was established at the camp. The computers motivate the campers to develop skills that they need to live more active and productive lives while having fun and feeling comfortable with the use of modern technology.

Follow-ups are conducted with campers after each session is over and positive results from their experiences at camp are noted by parents and teachers. Teachers, parents and therapists applaud Camp Grassick:

• "When Daisy comes back from camp, she is vibrant and full of life."

• "Socially, emotionally…being with other kids her age…the whole environmental setting is great."

• "Every child benefits from the experiences and activities of camp."

• "Dustin matured a lot over the summer and became more independent in daily living skills."

• "When she first came home…she was very confident and excited. Her conversational speech was fluent—no stuttering."

• "Development, both emotional and socially. Also helped with behavioral skills. Excellent program. Thank you!"

Providing a camp experience to thousands of children and adults with special needs over the years has been a necessary and rewarding experience for North Dakota Elks. One only needs to see the looks on the campers’ faces and the twinkle in their eyes to see just how much Elks Camp Grassick means to them.

For more information on Elks Camp Grassick, visit the camp’s website at www.elkscampgrassick.com. Each year, the Elks National Foundation provides more than $6.5 million to the state Elks association for projects like Camp Grassick. You can learn more about the ENF’s support of your state major project online at www.elks.org/enf/yourstate.cfm.

ENF State Grants

Beginning in June, the state Elks associations will receive one of two grants from the Elks National Foundation. Special Project Grants allow the ENF to provide state associations with the resources to support national programs, expand their existing charitable projects, and explore new initiatives. Most states use the Special Project Grants for scholarship programs or other projects that best extend the Elks’ charitable and philanthropic outreach.

In addition, the state associations will receive a second charitable grant from the ENF in August, called the State Charities Grant. These grants typically fund state major projects, such as aid for people with disabilities, cancer research, children’s hospitals, youth camps and safe havens for abused families. Portions of these grants also fund state Hoop Shoot, Soccer Shoot, and drug awareness programs, as well as other charitable activities.

This year, the ENF Trustees have approved a two percent “cost of living” increase to both grant programs. The amount each state receives through the State Charities Grant program is directly related to the total contributed by donors from that state to the Foundation. Each year, the ENF reserves a lump sum for this program, which is distributed to the states based on a formula. Each state receives a percentage of the total grant based on its percentage of total cumulative giving and total prior-year giving. For most states, this results in the state’s grant award being larger than what the ENF received in donations from that state’s donors the previous year.

Donations to the Elks National Foundation, in addition to funding Elks National programs, also have an impact at the local and state levels. When you give to the ENF, you increase the resources your state has to fund programs in your community. To learn more about how the ENF is helping your state, visit www.elks.org/enf/yourstate.cfm.