Make an Impact

Growing up is hard.

At Camp Fire Central Oregon, we know that when children don’t thrive, they may struggle on all fronts—socially, emotionally and academically. As adults, they cannot become truly engaged, contributing members of our world. You know what happens then. It may be tough to find and keep jobs. They fall into reliance on harmful coping mechanisms — drugs, alcohol, physical abuse, and other risky behaviors. The toll on their behavioral health can lead to dark places, houselessness, and, sadly, sometimes loss of life.

“Camp Fire strives each and every day to connect youth to the outdoors, to each other, and to themselves — because this mission is a proven strategy for helping youth thrive.”

– Kecia Kubota, Executive Director, Camp Fire Central Oregon

The solution? Help kids thrive.

Throughout the giving season, we invite you to follow us online, where you’ll witness a series of stories spotlighting some of our amazing program participants. These videos showcase firsthand the vital role you can play in helping children thrive.

Counselor-in-training Kashay joined Camp Fire Central Oregon back in grade school as a camper. She loves working with the littles at camp and has discovered over the years, with the help of our role-model staff, how to regulate her emotions for herself and for the kids she loves and leads.

Meet Jack! A camper at Tumalo Day Camp, Jack has found his sparks and learned some lessons that help him to thrive! And that’s the very mission of our camps: helping kiddos connect with the outdoors, to each other, and to themselves!

Meet Andrew, AKA “Sarge,” a camper-turned-counselor at Camp Fire Central Oregon. Sarge went from worrying about being a camper years ago and feeling accepted to becoming a counselor who is now pursuing his education as a teacher’s assistant at Central Oregon Community College.

Janeva has been coming to Camp Fire Central Oregon for two years and has a lot of words to say about what she’s learned, what’s important about Camp Fire, how she’s overcome feeling worried about fitting in, and what makes her happy at camp.

Zoey joined her brother at Tumalo Day Camp this summer—and her mom, who’s a volunteer counselor. By the river, under the pines, she grew self-confidence and skills through empowering activities.

August surprised himself by discovering a passion for drawing, inspiration from counselors, and a fresh interest in history and culture. He thinks more kids could benefit from building bee condos and generally having fun, too.

Will you help?

All kids should have the opportunity to build connection. But we can’t do it on grants alone. We rely on donations from individuals.
– Mary Bowker, Grants Manager

Your 100% tax deductible donation means more kids will have access to programs where they can find their spark, lift their voices, and discover who they are.
– Joey Hamilton, Marketing & Development Director

Your gift changes lives.

$375 sends a child to one week of summer camp

$200 enrolls a child in our afterschool program

$70 sends a child to No School Day Camp

$25 provides a child with program activity supplies

ANY AMOUNT lights a spark and makes an impact!

Each and every child impacted gets to spend time with us, benefiting from our care and programs that are committed to helping them thrive.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration!

Help us hit our fundraising goal

Do you love our heart art?

Two young girls making our colorful fingerprint heart art.

The beautiful heart you see here may look familiar! It’s a one-of-a-kind masterpiece crafted by the little fingerprints of joyful children who have attended Camp Fire Central Oregon’s afterschool program.

When we rolled out this heart art project, the children loved putting their colorful fingerprints on the paper, knowing their artwork would help raise funds to support the very programs that they cherish

‘Tis the Season of Giving!

Your gift changes lives.

Help us hit our fundraising goal