I WANT YOU

TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT FINDING A CAMP.

We will always have excuses to not go for it and try. But whether we're in school, finishing up with school, trying to find a job, student teaching, working an internship, trying to have babies, raising babies, in debt, out of debt, barely getting by or making it on your own, there will always be something we can blame for not trying.

I know the economy isn't looking too pretty right now, but when would it ever be simple to find $1.7 million?

I know we're separated and living across borders, but we all have the same goal.

The world is not as big and cruel as we imagine it to be. More importantly, we are not as small and helpless as we think. Individually I am one girl who spent one amazing summer working with kids. Together we are a band of renegades trying to help the world, one youth at a time.

We are not asking for handouts, we are asking for a means through which we can invest in the youth of this nation.

I want to try. I am 21 and I am broke and I work 40 hours a week on top of 18 hours at school during my senior year. But I don't want to wait any longer. I want to start now. We should start now.

Two years ago, I learned that I loved working with kids at summer camp. I'm positive all of you do, too. So let's keep going. Let's stop reminiscing about those wonderful days when the world was right but the boss was wrong. Let's create new summers. Let's do it our way. Let's start from the bottom and work our way up. We already have somebody who we all believe in, who has inspired us to find our happiest, most productive selves, and who is the foundation for all relationships in this community. We have our hero. He has his staff. We need our camp.

Let's get a move on.

I know starting from scratch is intimidating, but we don't really have any other options. People aren't just handing out camps. So here we go:

Step One: We need to create a contacts list of anybody who could help us in this venture. I mean ANYBODY. If you know somebody who has experience with/works in fundraising, non-profits, real estate, organizations for youth, publishing, academic administration, PR, marketing, local/national radio and TV, event coordination, printing--- essentially anybody who you could call and ask for a favor, I want their name, number, email, and company. The bigger our contacts list, the better. Each of you should be able to think of AT LEAST 5 people you know who would want to help you out with this. If you can't, think harder. These people don't have to be close friends or bigwigs (maybe just a local journalist or business owner)- just people who could lend a favor if we need it. People are more willing to help than we give them credit for, we just have to find the right way to appeal to them.

I want all of you to RACK YOUR BRAINS for people we can add. For each contact, I want:

1. Name
2. Company/Job
3. Phone Number
4. E-mail
5. What they could do for us
6. How you know/know of this person

The contacts list won't be made public, so don't worry about information getting spread unprofessionally. I will compile a list and share it as needed. I've created a secure blog so that we can have discussions and brainstorming sessions, and will add you to the list of approved readers when I receive your email of contacts.

Send all contact list entries to CampRenegade@gmail.com.

Our next step is to identify ourselves as an organization (or anything- a club, a society, try to gain non-profit status- whatever) so we can do some strong public outreach. So start thinking about what we should be, and what we should be called. We need an identity before we send out any media.

IN CONCLUSION: We want to change the world. We can't do it alone. Let's make a list of all the people who could potentially help us. With anything.

Here goes nothing,
amk

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
-Margaret Mead/our mantra during these first few days