Camp Genesis

By parishioner and volunteer, Emily Lyons.

Saint Philip’s Prison Ministry is holding a donation drive to support Camp Genesis. I will collect donations on Sundays: May 19, May 26, and June 2. Look for me under the blue umbrella after church.

What is Camp Genesis?
Camp Genesis is a diocesan-run summer camp for children and youth who have a parent or close family member who is or was incarcerated.

Thanks to donors’ generous financial support, the diocese is able to offer this program to campers for free. During their week at Chapel Rock in Prescott, campers go on outdoor adventures, express their creativity through art, and engage in spiritual development. Most importantly, they get to just be kids!

Having a parent or loved one in prison is a traumatic experience. Children from justice-impacted families are more likely than their peers to struggle academically, experience social stigma and bullying, suffer from poor mental health, and encounter financial barriers. They are also much more likely to get caught up in the justice system themselves.

This is why Camp Genesis is so important. It allows kids to have fun in a safe, affirming environment, build self-esteem, and form lasting friendships with others who can relate to what they’ve been through. What’s more, the experience doesn’t end with camp. Campers receive academic, emotional, and spiritual support year-round from a network of dedicated volunteers.

Your donation supports campers directly
Because many of the campers are living at or below the poverty level, the camp provides each camper with a backpack filled with camp essentials such as reusable water bottles, sunscreen, chapstick, and more.

The goal is to raise $500.00 to help the camp coordinators purchase these needed supplies. No amount is too small—a donation of just $20.00 covers the cost of water bottles for two campers!

Any donations receive in excess of the $500.00 goal will support camper tuition and the camp’s operational budget so that the diocese can continue to offer this transformative ministry for years to come.

How you can donate
The best way to help out is to make a contribution by check. Please make them payable to “Episcopal Diocese of Arizona—Prison Ministry” and indicate “Camp Genesis” in the memo line.

Camp volunteers needed
Do you have experience and enjoy working with kids? Would you like to spend an all-expenses paid week in the cool pines of Prescott? There is currently an opening for a volunteer position. Interested folks should contact Dcn Kim Crecca at prisonministry@azdiocese.org

Learn more about Saint Philip’s Prison Ministry
All are invited to join the ministry’s next Zoom meeting at 7:00pm on Tuesday, June 11. You can also email me at elyons@arizona.edu for more information.