Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 9/13/2022
SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Jewish Community Center (JCC) and Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts (JFSWM) partnered for a free summer camp for refugee and migrant children. The camp celebrated its fourth year of partnering with the JFSWM after operating for decades in the community. The eight-week day camp welcomed dozens of refugee children from Africa, the Middle East and Ukraine.
A combination of state funding, foundation grants and private donations helped support this partnership program. JCC Marketing and Membership Director Seth Stutman shared that the partnership started as a way for the center to assist the multitude of services the JFSWM provided.
“We realized that [JFSWM] has been doing such great work for so long, and we wanted to find out ways to help to serve them and their population. We thought, ‘Wouldn’t be great if those kids, who have been dealing with such adversity, if they could come to camp and alleviate some of that pressure?” said Stutman in an interview with Reminder Publishing.
Stutman stressed that the camp continues to operate as an inclusive space for participants to take part in fun summer activities. The inclusion of migrant and refugee participants has helped to enhance the camp’s goals of featuring a “melting pot” of different communities.
“What it did though, it helped to teach our counselor and our campers about different communities and how to best serve them … This rounded out our program and only made it more diverse,” said Stutman.
While monitoring the camp, Stutman noticed that the counselors and campers alike formed a sincere bond amidst their cultural differences.
“I think one of the most unique parts about our camp is that there are people of every different socio-economic and ability level … For me, what it does is it teaches folks how much more we have in common than we have separate,” said Stutman.
The camp offered a traditional assortment of summer activities. Stutman said a camp day typically started with a group ceremony before campers participated in fun programs like swimming, archery, 3D printing, arts and crafts and a designed rope course.
“It’s a very traditional summer camp bursting with multi-discipline activities,” said Stutman.
Stutman believes the camp continues to resonate with families and children alike due to its universal approach. He shared the wide-encompassing activities connect participants of all cultures and languages.
“The best part about camp is that so many of the things we do are universal in terms of language. Music, dance, sports, all of these things transcend language … We are so excited to provide these universal themes so that kids can really be emersed in what’s really important, which is having fun and being a kid,” said Stutman.
New American Program Director for the JFSWM Sara Bradford said the program was beneficial to participants.
“JFS is grateful to partner with the JCC to welcome refugees and Afghan evacuees to camp – newcomers to our community who were eager to learn English, find friends, and most importantly, just be kids … JFS is excited to continue to support these families as they adjust, and thrive, in their new homes in Western Mass,” said Bradford.
Bradford shared that the camp’s positive environment provided opportunities for participants to practice English. Parents of the campers were also able to go to English language classes and find work because of the child care that summer camp offered, according to Bradford.
Readers can learn more about the JCC and their programs at https://www.springfieldjcc.org/.