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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2008
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
CAMP FIRE USA ANNOUNCES 2008 FAMILIES COUNT: FAMILY STRENGTHENING AWARDEES
(KANSAS CITY, Missouri - August 18, 2008) Six Camp Fire USA local affiliate councils
have been awarded the Camp Fire USA/Annie E. Casey Foundation FAMILIES COUNT: Family Strengthening
Awards. Council awardees exemplify a guiding principle of the Annie E. Casey Foundation that
"children do well when their families do well, and families do better when they live in supportive
communities."Camp Fire USA is a leading national youth organization that partners with the Annie E.
Casey Foundation to support youth and families. Over the past six years, 26 awards have been presented
to Camp Fire USA councils totaling $392,000.
Exemplary Practice Awards in the amount of $15,000 were awarded to three councils. These awardees
demonstrate success in supporting, serving and addressing vulnerable families' needs by having
established family strengthening practices in more than one strategy. The award money is used to
strengthen and expand the council's efforts. We congratulate:
- Camp Fire USA Heartland Council (Prairie Village, Kansas)
- Camp Fire USA West Michigan Council (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
- Camp Fire USA Adahi Council (Mohnton, Pennsylvania)
Incentive Awards of $4000 were given to three councils that demonstrate excellence in at least
one family strengthening strategy. The award amount is determined by the extent of the council's
effort around family strengthening strategies. The award is used to stimulate further development
of family strengthening. Kudos to:
- Camp Fire USA Minnesota Council (St. Paul, Minnesota)
- Camp Fire USA Northwest Ohio Council (Findlay, Ohio)
- Camp Fire USA West Texas Council (Midland, Texas)
"These councils represent Camp Fire USA's commitment to embrace a family strengthening approach that
goes beyond serving individual youth," states Jill Pasewalk, National President and CEO. "These programs
connect youth and families to their communities and give parents the necessary supports, opportunities,
relationships and networks that help them to raise their children successfully."
Each council demonstrates a significant degree of expertise that supports family strengthening in six
areas: philosophical commitment, workforce support, community connections, co-investment strategies,
program practices, and advocacy. These best practices are shared and duplicated throughout the Camp Fire
USA national system of councils. Each council was selected for work in specific areas.
Camp Fire USA Heartland Council
Heartland Council is being awarded for positioning family strengthening as a top priority by creating a
new council vision statement and training staff and volunteers on the importance of the family. In the
past year, the council has been diligent in investing in the communities it serves, being inclusive, and
providing networking opportunities and avenues of support for families.
Camp Fire USA West Michigan Council
West Michigan Council has earned this award through its efforts in designing programs based on parent
feedback on the needs of families. The council has great family benefits for staff and supports continuing
education by paying staff for attending classes. The council also provides support and opportunities for
youth to advocate for themselves to community leaders and local legislators.
Camp Fire USA Adahi Council
Adahi Council is being recognized for its extremely motivated and involved board and its structured family
events. These events unite urban and suburban families and provide effective and diversified social
experiences. The council also operates under a Total Family Concept, which ensures family involvement in
all programming.
Camp Fire USA Minnesota Council
Minnesota Council, with high expectations of its staff to fulfill the mission of Camp Fire, supports its
employees by encouraging professional development and being flexible and understanding of employees'
obligations to their families. The staff, board members, and volunteers are trained and orientated as well
as encouraged to reach out to the community to help advocate on the part of the council, the youth, and
their families.
Camp Fire USA Northwest Ohio Council
Northwest Ohio Council is aggressive in promoting family strengthening in the community. The council trains
staff and board members on the importance of building essential assets in youth, with a primary emphasis on
having positive relationships with family members and adult mentors. It welcomes family support in all youth
programs and offers family activities throughout the year.
Camp Fire USA West Texas Council
West Texas Council recognizes the needs of families and is intentional in providing programming based on
those needs. The council provides economic relief to most families who participate and connects families to
the appropriate resources within the community. It also engages families in service-learning opportunities
for guardians to work hand-in-hand with their youth, building family cohesion.
Camp Fire USA is one of the nation's leading nonprofit
youth development organizations, serving 750,000 participants
each year. Founded in 1910, Camp Fire provides all-inclusive,
coeducational programs in hundreds of communities across
the United States. By design, Camp Fire's programs, which
include small group experiences, after-school programs,
camping and environmental education, child care, and service-learning,
build confidence in youth and provide hands-on, youth-driven
leadership experiences in partnership with families. For
more information about Camp Fire USA, visit www.campfireusa.org.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a private charitable organization dedicated to helping build better futures
for disadvantaged children in the United States. It was established in 1948 by Jim Casey, one of the founders
of UPS, and his siblings, who named the Foundation in honor of their mother. The primary mission of the
Foundation is to foster public policies, human-service reforms, and community supports that more effectively
meet the needs of today's vulnerable children and families. In pursuit of this goal, the Foundation makes
grants that help states, cities, and communities fashion more innovative, cost-effective responses to these
needs.
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