Women’s FEST to be Part Virtual, Part Live Next Spring
CAMP Rehoboth’s legendary Women’s FEST, canceled in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic (which would have been its 20th anniversary year), will go on for 2021.
The hybrid Women’s FEST, already in the works, will take place April 22-25, in and around downtown Rehoboth and on computer screens everywhere.
According to FEST Co-Chairs Nancy Hewish, Lisa Soens, and CAMP Rehoboth Development Director Anita Broccolino, for the health and safety of FEST participants, many precautions will be taken to host a socially distanced, yet exciting weekend event.
There will be FEST entertainment, live, mostly outside in small groups, perhaps on the beach, as well as entertainment online. The famous sports programs—always a sell-out—will still take place, with some new ones as well. The popular Golf Outing, led by Barb Thompson and Evie Simmons, will happen at the Rookery on April 22.
FEST Speakers, being lined up now, will be on Facebook Live or Zoom. It is important to note that there will be no live concerts or programs at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center or the Atlantic Sands Hotel as in previous years. However, downtown Rehoboth Beach will still be busy with participation by restaurants offering specials, and perhaps outdoor entertainment.
It’s a work in progress at this point (as it always is by the December before the FEST), but plan on Women’s FEST happening in an innovative, fun, and inspiring way for 2021.
Watch this space for updates!
CAMP Rehoboth Debuts Fay Jacobs LGBTQ Youth Scholarship Fund
In admiration for her dedication and tireless contributions over many years, the Board and staff of CAMP Rehoboth are pleased to announce the initiation of a CAMP Rehoboth Fay Jacobs LGBTQ Youth Scholarship Fund.
Fay Jacobs, longtime columnist, Feature Editor, and for the last three years Editor for Letters from CAMP Rehoboth, is officially retiring this year. According to CAMP Rehoboth Development Director Anita Broccolino, “she has been and continues to be an irreplaceable part of the fabric of our community, and a gift and light to us all. “
The Fund has been launched with a donation from the Boston Beer/Dogfish Head organization for a gay history program Fay did for their LGBTQ employees. (this sentence may be deleted)
Readers interested in donating to this fund can mail or drop off a check to CAMP Rehoboth, 37 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware 19971, with a note indicating the gift be applied specifically to the CAMP Rehoboth Fay Jacobs Scholarship Fund. Or you can make a donation at camprehoboth.com, noting in the comments that the donation is specifically for the scholarship fund.
Enjoy CAMP Rehoboth’s Open Mic Nights
Check out CAMP Rehoboth Community Center’s Facebook page. First Fridays (7-8 p.m.) feature singers from CAMP Chorus. Third Fridays (6-8 p.m.) are hosted by CAMP Rehoboth Operations Administrator and musician Kerry Hallett, with lots of musical talent.
Andrea Nardello + Virtual Open Mic!
December’s Virtual Open Mic is pleased to welcome a featured performance by NPR Slingshot Emerging Artist to Know Andrea Nardello on Friday, December 18th. The Philly singer songwriter has garnered favorable comparisons to Melissa Etheridge and Shawn Colvin for melding pop songwriting smarts with a confessional and literate songwriting style. Nardello recently won a contest and had the opportunity to sing with Brandi Carlile at Carlile’s all women’s festival in Mexico and was then named a top “Emerging Artist To Know” by NPR.
Andrea will perform a 30 minute set at 6 p.m. to kick things off, then others are welcome to perform. Audience members should watch via Facebook Live on CAMP Rehoboth's Facebook page, and those interested in performing should join via Zoom: http://bit.ly/CAMPvirtualopenmic
CAMP Rehoboth’s Year-end Fundraising Campaign Needs You!
CAMP Rehoboth, just like non-profits everywhere, is in the midst of its annual end-of-year fundraising campaign.
Executive Director David Mariner says, “We know that many nonprofits will be asking for your donations this month, and we hope you will consider sustaining the work that CAMP Rehoboth does every day with an end-of-year gift.”
CAMP Rehoboth remains a powerful and unifying voice in our community, and in these times of pandemic and political upheaval CAMP Rehoboth’s work is needed more than ever.
“We are indeed living through challenging times,” Mariner notes. “Our community witnessed evidence of this with three separate incidents in recent weeks. On top of this, a global pandemic has left many of us struggling, isolated, and lonely. In big and small ways every day, CAMP Rehoboth is working hard to build community—connecting people even in these disconnected times.”
CAMP Rehoboth continues its work to make the community safe and welcoming for all by supporting those affected by violence and by advocating for LGBTQ rights.
CAMP Rehoboth is the only full-service LGBTQ community center in Delaware and the eastern shore of Maryland, providing a large array of health and wellness programs for all ages.
Mariner says, “We are so very thankful for the amazing community we live in. We are appreciative for all that each of you gives by donating your time, your talents, your resources, and your financial gifts to CAMP Rehoboth. On behalf of our Board members, staff, our incredible volunteers, and everyone at CAMP Rehoboth, we thank you for your involvement and continued support.”
Tax-deductible donations may be made directly at camprehoboth.com or by mailing or dropping off donations at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center, 37 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware 19971.
DID YOU KNOW?
The CAMP Rehoboth Community Center’s health, wellness, advocacy, and arts programming serves over 37,000 individuals per year.
Yearly, CAMP Rehoboth supports 46 nonprofit and other local groups with Community Center space for meetings and events, and/or advertising in Letters from CAMP Rehoboth.
CAMP Rehoboth provided sensitivity training sessions to over 460 individuals on LGBTQ issues to local law enforcement, state park rangers, middle and high school administrative staff, and staff/clinicians at Beebe Healthcare and Bayhealth in 2019 alone.
CAMP Rehoboth proudly partners with the AARP, Rehoboth Art League, Beebe Healthcare, American Lung Association-Delaware, Sussex County Health Coalition, Bayhealth, Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, Big Brothers Big Sisters Delaware, Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, and Delaware Department of Health and Social Services.
Over 700 people annually participate in our programs and discussion groups for folks 55+. These include programs and talks on diverse topics, art classes with the Rehoboth Art League, free tax preparation services sponsored by AARP, and 19+ ongoing discussion groups such as: Parents of Trans Kids (PTK) group, HIV support group, women’s Discussion Group, men’s discussion group, dealing with depression, grief groups, AA meetings, and more.
A total of 983 individuals participated in all health events. These included flu shots and health screenings in partnership with Beebe Healthcare.
CAMP Rehoboth held 13 ongoing and seven new health and wellness sessions in 2019 alone, serving all age groups. Sessions included: yoga, tai chi, mindfulness, smoking cessation (through a grant from the American Lung Association-Delaware), and more. New programming is continually being added.
The CAMP Rehoboth Chorus Music & Memory program supplied 50 seniors in seven Sussex County skilled nursing and assisted living facilities with iPods loaded with their favorite music.
Fifteen community service projects were conducted by the CAMP Rehoboth Outreach Program (CROP), involving 160 volunteers, which benefited all residents of Sussex County and specifically 12 organizations and over 5,900 people in 2019. Despite COVID, CROP has continued providing outreach and services for the community.
Mental health counseling and sexual health counseling is available and utilized more in 2020 than ever before, totaling over 110 people receiving individual counseling.
CAMP Rehoboth hosted 11 art exhibits which featured 156 new, emerging, and established artists, and were attended by 1,380 people. In the last two years.
The 95-member CAMP Rehoboth Chorus performed four concerts in 2019 with 1,400 attendees.
The 30-member Chorus Ensemble performed two concerts and 21 outreach performances, largely at senior citizen and assisted living facilities, to the enjoyment of over 2,300 attendees.
YOU are CAMP Rehoboth! More than 35 percent of our needed annual funds come from memberships and donations. We cannot exist without your support. Please join or renew today! Contact Anita Broccolino, Development Director, to make a donation, ask questions, or would like to discuss legacy or planned giving options: 202-227-5620 or anita@camprehoboth.com.