World AIDS Day—December 1
Join CAMP Rehoboth for a World AIDS Day service on Friday, December 1. This event will begin at CAMP Rehoboth at 5:30 p.m., and attendees will walk over to All Saints’ Church on Olive Avenue for the service. The service will begin at 6:00 p.m., and a reception will be held immediately following in the parish hall.
Once again, CAMP Rehoboth will host a portion of the AIDS Quilt for viewing at All Saints’ Church, where it will serve as a powerful visual backdrop for the service as we remember the many lives lost to AIDS and reflect on its continued impact today.
Viewing opportunities not only include the service on Friday, but also:
→ Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for private prayer and meditation
→ Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., with a service with special prayers and music for World AIDS Day at 5:00 p.m.
→ Sunday between 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., with services at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
The Friday service will feature names of those lost to the AIDS epidemic. These names are submitted by community members; submit names to remember by visiting camprehoboth.com/worldaidsday. The program will showcase performances by a select number of the CAMP Rehoboth Chorus and musician Alicia Mickenberg on viola. The service will be non-denominational.
This year, CAMP Rehoboth’s World AIDS Day commemoration will also include an interpretive art activity. On days leading up to December 1, and on World AIDS Day itself, participants will have an opportunity to create a painted rock that expresses their feelings about HIV/AIDS, love, loss, and hope.
Materials will be provided. Participants can take a seat, meditate for a moment, then select and create your painted rock. Then creations can be taken to a special location of one’s choice. Alternatively, the rocks can be left at CAMP Rehoboth. Later, these special rocks will be transferred to a place of quiet reflection—a temporary meditative garden on the property.
Create a painted rock at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center on the following dates and times: November 30 and December 1, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., in the Elkins-Archibald Atrium. ▼
Community Toy & Clothing Drive
During the holiday season, CAMP Rehoboth is partnering with the Rehoboth Beach Bears to host a community toy and clothing drive. Community member Paul Christensen kickstarted the drive in 2008, and it’s grown to bring cheer to hundreds of local families and organizations in need. The CAMP Rehoboth Outreach Program (CROP) will once again help to distribute donations to this year’s beneficiaries.
CAMP Rehoboth will be a drop-off point for donations through Friday, December 8. There will be several opportunities to donate at the Rehoboth Beach Bears’ upcoming events at Aqua (November 18 and December 17) and at the Holiday Bar Crawl at The Pines/Above The Dunes (December 1), among others. For additional information on other drop-off locations and this year’s beneficiaries, visit camprehoboth.com. ▼
CAMP Rehoboth Advocacy at Work
CAMP Rehoboth Community Center has expressed support for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) proposed guidance on harassment in the workplace by signing onto a comment letter prepared by the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE). This guidance affirms the right of transgender people to a workplace free from discrimination and harassment and strengthens the protections transgender people need at work. The letter prepared by NCTE also encourages the EEOC to consider improvements including addressing harassment faced by intersex workers; protecting pregnant workers of all genders; and defining the limits of religiously motivated harassment.
In addition, in August, CAMP Rehoboth provided separate comments to the Department of Health and Human Services in support of proposed regulations expanding services for LGBTQI+ seniors under the Older Americans Act. CAMP requested an improvement to the Final Rule that would specifically notify State and Area Agencies on Aging to include training on LGBTQI+ older persons, and older persons living with HIV and their needs, and to conduct targeted outreach to these communities.
Please visit camprehoboth.com/advocacy to learn more about these initiatives. ▼
Walking in the Sea Witch Parade
On Saturday, October 28, CAMP Rehoboth Community Center walked the Sea Witch Parade for a second consecutive year. CAMP Rehoboth invited community members, friends, and family to dress in costume or wear one of the orange CAMP Rehoboth shirts. Rainbow pride feather boas and Pride capes were also provided. Creative costumes included Morticia Addams, Ken and Barbie, and Flo from Progressive.
Thanks to the 20+ marchers who joined CAMP Rehoboth and helped to spread the community's love and joy to parade attendees! Marchers waved custom CAMP Rehoboth signs that shared empowering messages like “Love Is Love,” “Room for All,” and “U = U (Undetectable = Untransmittable),” among others.
“It was great to see the community coming together and so positively respond to CAMP Rehoboth’s presence at the parade,” said Ken Currier, one of the marchers.
Early estimates place this year’s festival attendees at exceeding the 200,000 count set last year, according to Carol Everhart, President/CEO of the Rehoboth-Dewey Chamber of Commerce. ▼
Save the Date
Women’s FEST 2024
Mark your calendars! Women’s FEST 2024 dates are April 25-28, 2024.
Since its inception as a Women’s Conference and Weekend back in 2001, the CAMP Rehoboth Women’s FEST (Fun, Entertainment, Spring, Tradition) has become a bona fide, beloved annual event in Rehoboth Beach. It offers a whole lot of fun, some sensational entertainment, awesome workshops, and lots of sports—it’s one of the best women’s events on the East Coast. Be sure to stay tuned to camprehoboth.com—more information soon! ▼
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Celebrated on November 20 each year, Transgender Day of Remembrance was created in 1999 to commemorate transgender woman Rita Hester, who was murdered. This day honors the lives of transgender people lost to acts of transphobic violence.
Transphobia runs rampant in the US, and this year featured a record-breaking amount of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, much of which took aim at trans rights. CAMP Rehoboth encourages all to take time to reflect on this and all types of violence against trans siblings in the community not only on TDOR, but every day.
Send CAMP Rehoboth Soaring into 2024
This year, CAMP Rehoboth’s theme for giving is “Pride in Progress: Embrace, Empower, Evolve.” Stay tuned to ways to give during these final months of the year, starting with Giving Tuesday on Tuesday, November 28. Directly following Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of radical generosity. Visit camprehoboth.com for more details. ▼
Block Party—A Major Success!
On Sunday, October 15, CAMP Rehoboth hosted over 100 vendors, sponsors, and performers on the second block of Baltimore Avenue. As CAMP Rehoboth’s largest outreach event of the year, Block Party brought in an estimated 3,000 attendees to shop art and merchandise from local craftspeople and small businesses, learn more about featured nonprofits, and enjoy the performances from musicians, actors, and drag queens.
“This event has grown tremendously since its first year in 2015,” said Chris Beagle, Block Party co-chair. “We couldn’t have done it without the great support from our volunteers, sponsors, and such a fantastic variety of vendors.”
“Thank you to all who attended this year,” said Michelle Manfredi, Block Party co-chair. “The great turnout showed how impactful bringing the community together can be, and we’re already looking forward to next year!” ▼