We are always saddened by the death of a member of our community, but especially so when that death hits close to home. On February 16, long-time CAMP Rehoboth supporter, volunteer, and volunteer staff member Mike Kelly passed away in Washington DC. In our Volunteer Spotlight feature in this issue, Chris Beagle remembers Mike’s deep commitment to our organization. There will be a memorial celebration of Mike’s life at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center.
Across the state, Equality Delaware volunteers continue to push to transform our Civil Union Act into full marriage equality. For those in the Rehoboth area, every Tuesday evening from 6-9 pm, volunteers will be staffing the CAMP Rehoboth phone bank. The evening includes training, a script, and pizza. There are a limited number of phones so please bring a laptop, a cell phone, and charger if you are able.
On April 6, Fay Jacobs teams up with Equality Delaware to present a staged reading of 8 the Play, at Epworth United Methodist Church on Holland Glade Road. The play portrays the closing arguments of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the federal trial that led to the overturn of California’s Proposition 8. The play, written by Dustin Lance Black, uses transcripts from the trial, and was created because the court refused to release a video recording of what happened in the courtroom. Along with other members of our community, I’ve been invited to participate in the reading. Tickets are $25 and are available on the Equality Delaware website or at the door.
The next big event for us, the CAMP Rehoboth Women’s FEST takes place April 11-14. A FEST Pass is available for access to workshops, the Chely Wright Concert at the Convention Center, drink and dinner discounts around town, and more. With Vickie Shaw tickets already sold out, both the Chely Wright and Christine Havrilla shows are going fast. FEST Passes and tickets to all Women’s FEST events are available on the CAMP Rehoboth website, as is information about events, performers, schedules, workshops. and sponsors. Don’t miss out, purchase tickets today!
CAMP Rehoboth, like most other non-profit organizations, depends on volunteers to help us accomplish all that we do. Volunteers are the heart of the CAMP Rehoboth experience, and provide support for everything from staff level positions and office help to producing and setting up for all our events and activities. Volunteers are not required to attend a volunteer orientation session, but we encourage everyone to do so—even our long-time volunteers and supporters. The next CAMP Rehoboth Volunteer Orientation is the day after this issue of Letters is published (Saturday, March 9, 9:30 -11 a.m.). Volunteer Orientation sessions are also scheduled for Saturday, May 18 and August 10, 9:30-11 a.m., and Tuesday, November 12, 6-8 p.m. All our volunteers will be celebrated at our annual Volunteer Appreciation Party on April 20 from 3-5 p.m., at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center.
Along with our volunteers, CAMP Rehoboth would not be able to succeed without the generous support of our members. Members make it possible for us to launch new programs like CAMP-Mautner Cares and the CAMP Lecture Series; members make it possible for us to operate the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center and support the many group meetings and activities that take place in it; members make it possible for us to provide information and advocacy to our entire community. Later this month, we will launch our spring membership drive. To those of you already members, please renew or upgrade your membership; to those who are not members, please consider signing up at one of the many available levels. Your support will make a huge difference to CAMP Rehoboth and to our ability to serve our community.