This Is a Wonderful Day
I remember when Lambda Rising was in the back of the courtyard of the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center on Baltimore Avenue. I also remember Cloud Nine, Out Gear, The Frog Pond, and The Renegade. Things have changed, and they will continue to do so. Many songs, philosophers, and poets remind us that “everything is temporary.” Some things are just more temporary than others. That’s a hard pill to swallow at times, especially when we have fond memories and connections.
While growing up my family and I moved from state to state more than was typical. I moved from Delaware to Massachusetts to New York to New Jersey. All these moves happened before the age of 13. Each time I was anxious about moving and making new friends. Now as an adult I am thankful for the experiences and skills each of the moves provided to me.
CAMP Rehoboth is not immune to change. We have some changes in the works. In the coming months you will see some physical changes to 37 and 39 Baltimore Avenue. These physical changes are needed additions built upon a wonderfully rich and loving foundation. Some of what you will see are new doors, gutters, lighting and sound in the atrium, solar panels, a wheelchair lift, and an accessibility door opener. January may bring new paint and flooring. We will keep you updated! We are deeply appreciative of Lisa Evans and Carol Brice who are shepherding this facilities renewal.
A behind-the-scenes change includes our new development platform, DonorPerfect (dp). DonorPerfect will roll out in the next month. As with any new platform implementation we can expect that we will have some hiccups we need to address. Your patience is greatly appreciated. Sondra Arkin is our shepherd for this process. Those of you who have implemented new platforms into a business know that it is a complex task.
We continue to forge new (and leverage existing) relationships with other agencies to support our community and the community at large. The Blood Bank of Delmarva, Delaware Hospice, the Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation, Cape Henlopen School District, AARP, I Support the Girls, the Community Resource Center, AIDS Delaware, Beebe Healthcare, Delaware HIV Consortium, the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, YMCA, Planned Parenthood of Delaware, Village Volunteers, and many more service agencies are partnering with us. I am just scratching the surface of ways in which we can partner to provide services, education, and opportunities for our community. We are coalition building; together we are stronger.
Our advocacy committee has influenced legislation both at the state and federal levels. Delaware became the 17th state to pass a ban on the “LGBTQ+ panic” defense in a court of law, a move that sets out to protect LGBTQ+ residents from becoming victims of violence. Leslie Ledogar, Vice President of the Board of Directors, testified when the bill was in committee. CAMP Rehoboth provided comments in support of proposed regulations expanding services for LGBTQI+ seniors under the Older Americans Act.
Additionally, over the coming months we will share a strategic plan for the next few years. The CAMP Rehoboth Board of Directors will provide a high-level vision of where CAMP Rehoboth will head and our staff will map out and implement a plan—with your help.
We have opportunities for giving before the end of 2023. Plan now for how you would like to send us soaring into 2024. Giving Tuesday and end-of-year giving are important as we head into the winter months.
Our staff and volunteers are developing more social opportunities to connect and build community. We will honor World AIDS Day at All Saints Church, go to New York City in December, gather for happy hours, play at recreational events, and stretch ourselves not only at yoga but with some educational workshops. The Arts at CAMP Rehoboth continue to provide joy and enlightenment. If there is something you’d like to sponsor, organize, or help with, please give me a call at 302-227-5620. Help us as we all work together to be “the change we’d like to see.”
I am thankful each day for the wonderful staff and volunteers that help make CAMP Rehoboth a welcoming and vibrant community. Each day I remind myself of Maya Angelou’s quote, “This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.” Each person, each relationship, each encounter is an opportunity to live our mission to promote cooperation and understanding among all people as well as work to build a safer community with room for all. ▼
Kim Leisey, PhD, is Executive Director of CAMP Rehoboth.