This is not a pity party. It occurred to me that many of my friends/family would love to be able to help out, given the chance. So here it is.
My son, Aaron (26) is off to Camp America in June 2024, to work as a youth counsellor. It is a fantastic opportunity for him, to finally leave home and go off into the world to discover it's many flavours. Many people do this when they are much younger, Aaron has always had to work that bit harder to prove himself, as he has Autism (Dyspraxia, ADHD, Asperger's, Tourette's, ASD). Inspired by his auntie Rachael, he went to the CA interview in February and they loved him (of course they did, he's very loveable). His video submission was brilliant (utterly proud mum moment) and he was accepted to be part of their program.
About his placement:
"Summit is a sleep-away camp in the Pocono Mountains that serves youth and teens that have significant social challenges. Our campers have diagnoses such as LD, HFA, and ADHD. Our mission is to provide a safe, supportive, and positive experience for kids who would otherwise be unlikely to succeed in a sleep-away camp environment. Our philosophy includes using the motivation of success, providing each individual camper with the platform of support he or she needs in order to make their camp experience and beneficial one."
Aaron will be perfect for this role, he was one of those kids once.
These last 2 months have been full on - getting the GP report, enhanced DB checks, Visa and lots of paperwork. The latest hurdle is that he will have to attend the US Embassy in London (200 miles away) to submit his application to be able to work in the US. It is going to cost Aaron approx. £1000 to take part in this adventure and they don't get paid until the end of the summer and even then, it will only cover the costs of the trip. It's not really a 'job' it's an experience with pocket money. Aaron currently works full time but whilst he is away (sabbatical, not holiday pay but might not have a job to come back to), there will still be bills to pay but no income/savings to cover it. It is a lot to pay out in a short time and he's now skint and struggling to pay this month's outgoings and he still has a list of things he needs to buy for the trip - walking boots etc. Can you help? All donations will be gratefully received and be used for Aaron's trip costs.
Obviously, due to Safeguarding, he won't be able to share images of his time IN the camp but I'm sure there will be loads of pictures and videos he will make whilst out and about, which I can share with followers. Asking for help isn't easy for me but I need my son to have the best chance at exploring this world and all the possibilities in it. Please help if you can.
Thank you.
This is going to be a life changing event for my son. There will be challenges to overcome but he's always defied the odds and proven those who doubted his ability to succeed - every, single time!
