Greater Newark Children Find Hope & Freedom Through Generosity
At summer camp, Niyea and Naziah traded cement for trees, and fear of unsafe encounters for fear of scraped knees.
On the daily bus ride to camp, the girls enjoyed seeing ponds and farm animals in fields. Once there, they could be found bike riding, swimming, playing games, performing drama, music, and more.
These aren’t common scenes when you live in the urban environment of northern New Jersey, where almost 30% of the households are at or below the poverty level, and gun violence is a common occurrence.
Mom, Janet, was thrilled for her young girls to get a break from the city, a chance to live without worries about their surroundings. Janet had fond memories of childhood camp but knew her income wasn’t enough. She was thrilled when Newark Day Center offered her children a camp scholarship, courtesy of the generous Fresh Air Fund.
When donors support the Holiday Fund, they are actually supporting 10 different agencies in the Greater Newark Area; agencies that have spent hundreds of years of combined service to the children and families of the community. Services like:
- A landing space for teens to receive education support, peer support, and community exposure, supported by Family Connections. Kids love the chance to get out of the city and hike in a state park for the first time, or see a show on Broadway!
- An exciting online coding class for young people of Newark, developed by the Urban League of Essex County.
- Saturday Fun Club of the New Community Corporation engages children ages 5 to 12 while providing a safe and nurturing environment.
Every time a donor gives to the Holiday Fund, these organizations receive support. Every donation is distributed among 10 NJ agencies, who work tirelessly to serve the most at-risk and disadvantaged lives in their community.
A donation means more kids attend summer camp, more young people enroll in a coding class, and more teens have a safe place to hang out after school.
Through your generosity, Greater Newark children find hope and freedom. We hope you’ll donate today.