Greetings Parents and Guardians of CRMR Campers,
I pray you and your families are doing as well as can be expected in the midst of this corona virus pandemic. I am sure some of you have been thinking about what effects this situation might have on our summer camps coming up in June, as have I. While it is too soon to tell yet if things will be better, worse or the same in 12 weeks, rest assured we are already thinking about it and making plans to keep the children and youth of our region safe… whether that means going ahead with our camps with increased health safety measures or in the worse case scenario canceling them.
As the time gets nearer, we will send out more communication to keep you apprised of how we are handling the health concerns and what our plan is if a situation of increased risk arose while we are at camp. In the meantime, it is already time to be registering campers (our deadline is April 17) and I want to give you this promise – If the situation hasn’t improved markedly by June we will be cancelling the camps and giving everyone a full refund. Also, if you register your child/youth and we are having camps but you decide you do not feel it is safe enough yet you can notify us and we will still give you a full refund.
So I ask that you take the step of faith to go ahead and register your sons and daughters for camp with the comfort of knowing that we are monitoring the situation and that you, also, can cancel a registration at any time with no penalty. I know we are all already praying for this pandemic to subside soon, please join me in also praying that we will be able to have our camps because I believe that the ways that God touches young hearts and souls there, coupled with the fun the kids have, will be very healing for them emotionally and spiritually.
Though this letter is already getting a little long, I want to also share with you the information that La Foret just sent out regarding what they are doing to keep kids safe:
There is no higher priority to our La Foret staff and volunteer counselors than the physical, emotional, and spiritual safety of the youth and children in our camps and retreats. To address the COVID-19 situation with the appropriate level of caution, especially as it relates to youth and children camps, we are utilizing resources from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Camp Association (ACA), and the Outdoor Ministry Association of the United Church of Christ (OMA-UCC). According to the most recent information from the CDC, for most people, the immediate risk of being exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to be low. The risks associated with infection are also much lower for youth under 19 years of age.
We want you to feel confident that your child will be safe in every way at La Foret. As a result, we have enhanced some of our cleaning procedures and health and safety measures. While at camp, we will be enforcing our normal policy of washing hands upon entering the dining hall for all meals. Hands must be washed before sitting down at a table. Directors and counselors will be instructed to put a stronger emphasis on camper’s hand washing at other times during the day as well, such as every time they enter their cabins. Our housekeeping and food service staff will be increasing the normal sanitizing of mattresses, bathrooms and all surfaces of regular hand/skin contact in cabins and common spaces.
As usual, all campers will be health checked by a licensed nurse upon arrival at La Foret, and parents or drivers are asked to wait until the full check in process is complete before they leave. Our registered nurse may choose to measure campers temperatures as an increased safety measure at check in, so any camper with a fever can be quarantined and sent home. Campers feeling or exhibiting any signs of illness while at camp should let their counselor or director know immediately so they can be seen by the nurse.
It is also always our policy that if a child has had a fever within the last 24 hours, or vomiting/diarrhea in the last 48 hours, they are not permitted to stay at camp. In an abundance of caution, we are asking that anyone with any symptoms please stay home, since camp is by nature an environment of close contact. Unlike our usual cancellation policy of no refunds within two weeks of the event, we will grant a full refund to anyone not attending due to symptoms of illness.
Rest assured, we are monitoring this developing situation closely, and following expert advice. We will continue to react with appropriate caution, rather than fear. Please feel free to contact Brad Carroll at La Foret with any further questions: 719-495-2743 or brad@laforet.org
Thank you for taking the time to read through this. Thank you for all the ways each of you are praying and taking steps to keep your family and neighbors safe. And thank you in advance for registering your child/youth for camp. We appreciate and take very seriously the trust you place in us.
May God bless you and keep you safe,
Rev. Shelly Garrison,CRMR Associate Minister to Youth
Rev. Joan Bell-Haynes, CRMR Executive Regional Minister
