YMCA CAMP MANITOU
summer address:
27960 137th St. New Auburn, WI 54757
(e) camp@ymca-cv.org | (p) 715 839 4607
“Whenever I ask my kids if they would rather go to camp or have birthday and Christmas gifts they will choose camp hands down without hesitation. There is NOTHING in this material world that will ever compare to the experience of camp. I am so grateful that we started at Camp Manitou all those years ago. What a lifelong treasure it is.” - Camper Parent
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Camp Matters
Camp matters more and more each year. As kids’ lives get filled with technology, social media, and growing daily pressures, the importance of taking time to be in the woods, being creative, and making new friends increases. Families are seeing this value too. Camp enrollment has steadily grown each year.
For each kid, camp means something different. For some, it is the place they feel most comfortable being themselves, where they learn to love watching sunsets, and where they know they belong. Many kids who struggle in school and at home find camp to be a place they thrive. Each story is different. For all 1,800 kids who come to camp each summer, they will take home memories for a lifetime.
No child is turned away due to inability to pay. We work with families who reach out to us on a sliding scale. Additionally we utilize a network of organizations in the community including Big Brothers Big Sisters, school counselors, teachers, other Y programs, and our summer staff to recommend full scholarships to campers who would benefit from camp but have not been.
We also work to reduce barriers beyond just the camp fee, whether that is support filling out the paperwork, funds for the camp store, or getting items from our packing list like a swimsuit or sleeping bag. In 2022, we started a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters where any of the “Big” mentors could nominate the child they work with to get a fully subsidized week of camp. Many of the mentors were thrilled to extend this opportunity and have told us that the experience was life changing. We supported more than 200 campers with financial assistance this year and hope for that number to only grow.
"I just got home from picking up my son from mini camp. I was nervous because this was his first time at camp and he is a kid that feels his emotions on his sleeve and is reserved. At pick up he ran and hugged us, and was happy and enthusiastic. I saw how well he was taken care of. I saw him talking to his counselors, how they got down to his level, said goodbyes, and saw the support they gave him up until he left. On the way home, he talked about his time, how he wants to come back, how amazing it was, and all of the things he did. He talked about how he confided in one of his counselors, how we lost one of our family pets that he still cries about and how his counselor made him feel better about it. And how even though he missed home, his counselors helped him make it the "best time ever" he said.
I have to admit, I started tearing up. His counselors made an unforgettable experience. They did an amazing job which is a reflection of the individuals they are and what Camp Manitou is.
Thank you so much. I didn't know it when I dropped him off, but it meant the world to my son and me."
- Camper Parent