CAMP Rehoboth Health and Wellness Program Wins Organization of the Year, Accolades, and Funding
by Anita Broccolino
CAMP Rehoboth received multiple awards of distinction in recent weeks, including a top tribute, a large donation, and grant support.
The first award was presented by National Alliance on Mental Illness in Delaware (NAMI-DE).
“NAMI Delaware is excited to honor CAMP Rehoboth as our 2020 Organization of the Year. CAMP Rehoboth brings important programming to Sussex County, and is a strong partner with NAMI Delaware and many other organizations,” said Amada Thompson, NAMI-DE Director of Advancement. “They were chosen for their dedication to improving the mental health of those they serve, and for their continued support of NAMI Delaware’s event, Hope on the Boardwalk, each fall.”
Sal Seeley, CAMP Rehoboth Director of Wellness and Health, accepted the award during the NAMI-DE 2020 Inspiring Hope Conference held virtually in October.
Also received in October were two monetary awards in support of CAMP Rehoboth’s programming. The CAMP Rehoboth Tobacco grant proposal, submitted to the American Lung Association (ALA), received funding for programs to increase quitting and quit attempts among Delawareans.
CAMP Rehoboth’s THRIVE youth program was part of the grant and will adopt the ALA’s new Vape-Free Schools Initiative, the “Get Your Head Out of the Cloud” youth vaping Awareness Campaign and the Not-On-Tobacco (N-O-T) vaping tobacco cessation programs. These initiatives encourage LGBTQ and other students to stop vaping if they have already started, and to prevent others from ever taking up a tobacco habit.
A third award was presented to CAMP Rehoboth in large part due to the work of Seeley and Barbara Antlitz, the CAMP Rehoboth THRIVE Youth Program Coordinator. Laura Hutchison, a board member of the Herb Block Foundation, made the recommendation for CAMP Rehoboth to be awarded the substantial donation.
“I like being able to support CAMP Rehoboth's work with young people,” Hutchison said, “especially in this time of social distancing and remote learning, where young LGBTQ+ people are lacking some of the support they'd typically receive from peers and caring adults in the education system.”
“Unexpected funds such as these, said Antlitz, “are what allows us to produce the essential programming for these youth at this critical juncture of their lives, but also enhances the subsequent and more impactful support we can provide for even more youth.”
CAMP Rehoboth Board of Directors President Chris Beagle, said, “We could not be more pleased that the hard work of staff and volunteers is being recognized along with the value our programs to improve the lives of those who live in and around Sussex County.”