Are you part of an organization that sponsors camping trips for children? Every year, thousands of groups such as school groups, scouting organizations, and church groups take kids on camping trips.
The goal of these trips is not only to teach camping and survival skills such as tracking, fire making, and backpacking, but to teach the kids teamwork, self reliance, and to think outside of the box.
If you truly listen to these kids, you can see the difference when they attend these kinds of programs.
"Outdoor lab," scouting camp activities or similar programs often happen during the formative years of late elementary school or early junior high school, and these lessons often stick with these children for the rest of their lives.
Of course, these kids will need to pick up the essential camping supplies before they begin this life changing adventure.
They will need clothes, towels, shower supplies, snacks, backpacks, and more! Many organizations have begun soliciting donations to help cover the expenses of these items for children who would otherwise be unable to go on these camping trips.
If you're not already helping an organization in this manner, it would be a great way to spend some of your charitable dollars.
Many times, the beneficiaries of these camping trips are children from poor, inner city areas.
They've never been outside of the city, never been in a sleeping bag or a tent, and never experienced the joy of s'mores cooked over a campfire.
Going on a camping trip forges new friendships and teaches skills and life lessons that simply can't be learned in a classroom.
Children aren't just learning how to identify an animal by its' tracks, but how to depend on others in sticky situations and how strong they truly are.
In a household where it can be a struggle for parents to put food on the table, finding the money for camping supplies can be difficult.
However, individuals or organizations can help children and keep these experiences a reality for these kids who so desperately need them.
By hosting fundraisers and donating towels, sleeping bags, or bulk backpacks, your organization can help ensure that camping trips like this continue.
Finding these products at a discounted price is much easier if you are planning to buy in bulk.
You may find it helpful to look for these items at online dollar stores, to enable your organization to get the most bang for their buck.
Since many groups, particularly schools, are finding that programs like these are in danger of being cut in favor of essential classroom time, or as school districts are experiencing financial shortfalls.
Programs like these aren't seen as essential in many areas.
However, these programs can be a huge factor in the future success of the children who are able to participate in them, and it's important that they continue.
Donating products like bulk backpacks, snacks, flashlights and other camping gear can help ensure that even if funding is cut, these programs will be able to continue.