Now that we are back to publishing Letters from CAMP Rehoboth only once a month instead of every other week as we do in the summertime, there is a lot more time for the world to change between deadlines! Never has that statement been truer than in the weeks between this issue and our final one of the year in mid-November: by that time we will have elected a new president. The result of this election will have a significant effect on all of us for years to come and on the future of the LGBT movement. Already, this election has altered the political landscape in ways we will not fully understand until it becomes a part of the historical record. Please vote as if your life depended on it.
In 2015, the first CAMP Rehoboth Block Party was part of the 25th Anniversary celebration for CAMP Rehoboth, and we weren’t even sure there would be second one. We were delighted when the city gave us the go-ahead for this year’s Block Party 2, and very thankful for all the vendors and visitors who came out to help celebrate our beautiful town with CAMP Rehoboth. As is true for all of our events, it couldn’t have happened without our amazing volunteers and sponsors. For the record, I do have to say thank goodness there was no dunk tank at this year’s Block Party! I can still sit down after this one!
While i’m on the subject of our “amazing volunteers,”Ii need to take a moment to offer a word of apology to our Sundance volunteers. In the September issue of Letters, I inadvertently inserted an old volunteer list on our Sundance thank you page, and while many of our volunteers return year after year, we always have new ones, as well, and I don’t want to leave anyone out. Please take a look at the correct Sundance Volunteer thank you page on our website. The dedication and energy of our Sundance volunteers is inspiring, and we are deeply grateful to each and every one!
As we have done for nearly two decades, CAMP Rehoboth is coordinating the local efforts for World AIDS Day. Observed on December 1 every year, World AIDS Day provides an opportunity to focus attention on HIV/AIDS, celebrate and honor the caregivers and HIV service providers in our area, and to remember those who have been lost to the disease. Here in Rehoboth, our Candlelight Walk begins at 6:30 at the Rehoboth Bandstand, and ends at All Saint’s Episcopal Church at 18 Olive Avenue, for a Service of Remembrance and Hope that includes the annual reading of the names of our friends and family members lost to the AIDS epidemic over the years. I am always touched by the reading of those names, and find that it is a time when I feel reconnected to those who are missing in my life. The service of Remembrance is followed by a light supper hosted by All Saints’ Church. To volunteer or to have the name of a family member or friend who has died from AIDS added to the list of names to be read at the service, call CAMP Rehoboth at 302-227-5620, email me, or sign up on the CAMP Rehoboth wesite.
Now that we are in the last quarter of the year, it is a time to start thinking about making end of the year donations to organizations that we support, and I encourage everyone to consider CAMP Rehoboth. Over the last few years, Giving Tuesday—the Tuesday after Thanksgiving—has grown in public awareness. Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving that supports the organizations that make our world a better place. There is a donation button on our website at camprehoboth.com to make giving easy. Please use it on Giving Tuesday or to make an end of the year gift, so that we can continue to build a safe and inclusive community with room for all.