Week 29: The Painted Turtle
A few years ago, I was in a class at UCLA called Philanthropy as Civic Engagement. We were tasked with selecting nonprofits in the Los Angeles area to receive grants of up to $100,000. It was an incredible learning experience and I was lucky to be exposed to some wonderful organizations. One in particular, The Painted Turtle, stuck out to me above the rest. I couldn’t help but smile when I heard about their mission and was blown away even more at everything they do.
The Painted Turtle is a camp. Look closer, though, and you’ll see it is actually a place that seeks to inspire children with serious medical conditions to become their greater selves and have an absolute blast! A needs assessment showed that more than 17,500 children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses in California are unable to attend summer camp due to their medical conditions. This is where The Painted Turtle comes in.
“Their mission is to provide a year-round, life-changing environment for children with life-threatening diseases and their families – one that allows children to participate in an authentic camp experience by supporting their medical needs and offers their families care, education, and respite.”
Kids with more than 73 medical conditions visit The Painted Turtle each year. They have served over 49,000 children and their families through Summer and Family Weekend camps since opening in 2004. They offer innovative programs in a camp environment that offer a “great big dose of fun and support.”
As if this isn’t already wonderful enough - there is also no billing department at The Painted Turtle! Campers and their families attend camp completely free of charge. This is something I am beyond excited to support.
Here’s to a big dose of fun.
All the best,
Jodi
