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We help foster faith-based stewardship in the community for the spiritual, educational and charitable needs of all. All 185 parishes in the Diocese of Cleveland will come together this weekend to provide an improved adaptive camp experience for persons with developmental disabilities at Catholic Charities’ Camp Christopher. This Catholic Charities’ Follow Up Appeal is boosted by a generous Challenge Grant, which will match all new, increased or additional gifts to the Appeal, dollar for dollar, up to $100,000. Donations can be made through envelopes provided at all area Catholic churches this weekend or through the online giving portal at http://www.CatholicCommunity.org/Camp. Also, for the first time, donors at specific parishes – St. Francis of Assisi in Gates Mills, St. Hilary in Fairlawn, Our Lady of Peace in Grafton and Ss. Robert and William in Euclid – will be asked to use their cell phones during weekend Masses to make their donation by texting the word “CAMP” to 41444.
Camp Christopher currently offers a variety of camp experiences for persons of all ages with disabilities through their SumFun Day Camp, Residential Discovery Camp and Community Respite. All of these programs allow participants to enjoy the many activities that Camp Christopher offers with the benefit of adaption by trained staff. Catholic Charities President and CEO, Patrick Gareau, states: “This Appeal will provide more access to our special needs campers, including greater availability of camperships, cabin renovations for ADA compliance, enhanced programming for special needs, and other improvements that are needed to give every camper the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors at beautiful Camp Christopher.”
“Catholic Charities continues to assist all people in Northeast Ohio, regardless of their background or faith. This weekend, we will come together to care for people who yearn to be treated with dignity and respect; and through our generosity, we will provide them with the opportunity for enjoyment, learning, friendship, and camping at Camp Christopher, a gem in our Diocese.”
The total goal for the 2019 Catholic Charities Annual Appeal, which kicked off in February, is $13.5 million to support the health and human services delivered throughout Northeast Ohio. Last year’s Catholic Charities Annual Appeal exceeded its goal of $12.5 million and raised over $14.1 million, the most in recent history. Last year’s follow-up Appeal, conducted in May, successfully raised over $750,000 to specifically respond to the opioid crisis by expanding Catholic Charities’ addiction treatment services throughout Northeast Ohio. As a result, a new Recovery Outreach Center was recently opened in April in partnership with St. John the Baptist Parish in Akron.
Catholic Charities assists nearly 400,000 people in need annually throughout the eight-county Catholic Diocese of Cleveland with more than 150 programs and services available at 60 sites. Donations can be made securely online at www.CatholicCommunity.org/Camp or by calling 216-696-6525 ext. 1910.