Charities

We inspire hope in families affected by life-threatening childhood illness through our unique, supportive program at our beautiful campus on Maine’s Sebago Lake.

When a child faces serious illness, the entire family is impacted. Camp Sunshine’s mission is to provide respite and support to each family member – children, siblings, and parents. Since its inception, Camp Sunshine has offered comfort, hope, and support to over 43,500 individuals from 48 states and 23 countries. Camp Sunshine is currently the only full-time facility in the nation whose sole purpose is to provide respite for the whole family.

The families who come to Camp Sunshine have children diagnosed with cancer, hematologic conditions, renal disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, and who have undergone solid organ transplantation. They attend illness-specific sessions of varying lengths where they have the opportunity to solidify and renew their relationships while meeting others facing similar challenges. Bereavement programming is also provided for families who have lost a child to the illnesses served at Camp.

Recreational activities allow children and adults to relax and enjoy the simplicity and beauty of life along the pristine shores of Sebago Lake. Games and other events foster family involvement, encouraging joy and laughter. While at Camp Sunshine, each family stays in their own suite, equipped with two twin beds, bunk beds, a futon, full bathroom, microwave oven, and refrigerator. Mealtimes in our dining room are occasions for socializing and unwinding.

The Camp Sunshine Program is free

All families are sponsored by generous individuals, civic groups, corporations, and foundations. To learn more about sponsoring a family and other ways of supporting Camp Sunshine, please visit the giving section of this website.

Medical & Psychological Support

Onsite professionals are available to support the medical and psychosocial needs of families attending Camp. A physician is available 24-hours a day throughout each session. In addition, a state-of-the-art children’s hospital is only 40 minutes from Camp, and an urgent care center and community hospital with fully staffed emergency rooms are 20 minutes away.

Moderated support groups are provided during Camp Sunshine sessions and are tailored to families’ needs. These sessions are often the first opportunity family members have had to share their experiences with others in similar situations. The groups provide a forum in which family members can gain insight and support in dealing with illness-related issues.

Volunteer Support

Camp Sunshine relies on more than 2,500 volunteers annually, many of whom return year after year. The volunteers serve as camp counselors, and work in many areas of the program, including food service, arts and crafts, waterfront, and a variety of other activities. The majority of volunteers stay onsite and are provided with similar accommodations. To learn more about volunteering, please visit the volunteer section of this website.

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“Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. Our mission is to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world. Drawing strength from our global diversity, resources and experience, we promote innovative solutions and are advocates for global responsibility. We facilitate lasting change by: strengthening capacity for self-help; providing economic opportunity; delivering relief in emergencies; influencing policy decisions at all levels; and addressing discrimination in all its forms. We place special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty.”

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charity: water focuses on life’s most basic need — water. But to significantly cut down disease rates in the developing world, water is just the first step. Almost everywhere charity: water builds a freshwater well, we also require sanitation training. In some communities, we build latrines; at the very least, we promote simple hand-washing stations made with readily-available materials. Clean water can greatly alleviate the world’s disease burden, but only with education and hygienic practice. charity: water is committed to using water as a gateway to sanitary living. charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 100% of public donations directly fund water projects.

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“Founded in 1992, the mission of the Childhood Leukemia Foundation (CLF) is to lift the spirit and enhance the quality of life of children suffering with cancer. Our goal is to make sure children battling cancer know they are not alone. All of our programs have been designed to: educate and entertain; provide a sense of physical normalcy and help raise self esteem; encourage physical participation and therapeutic play; maintain a communications lifeline; and provide care management tools. CLF works with more than 140 specialized treatment centers. The organization serves over 15,000 children nationwide with free program and service offerings for childhood cancer patients and their families.”

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Since its start in 1855 as the nation’s first hospital devoted exclusively to caring for children, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has been the birthplace for many dramatic firsts in pediatric medicine. The Hospital has fostered medical discoveries and innovations that have improved pediatric healthcare and saved countless children’s lives. Over 150 years of innovation and service to our patients, their families and our community, reflect an ongoing commitment to exceptional patient care.

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