Reuniting Siblings - Camp to Belong

Do you recall your favorite childhood memory about your sibling?  Maybe it was playing in the tree house or backyard pool.  Maybe your favorite memory was holding your little sister's hand while you walked across the street or teaching your little brother how to ride a bike. 
 
What if you never had an opportunity to experience those childhood memories?  What if, because of mistakes your parents made or decisions you had no control over, you had to grow up … apart?
 
Seventy-five percent of the more than 580,000 foster children in America are growing up apart — separated from at least one sibling.  Lynn Price was one of these children-separated from her sister until she was in college. "We missed out on so many childhood memories, you know, all the social interactions, celebrating birthdays, telling each other secrets, sharing holidays, and things like that," she said.
 
Because of these lost memories, Price now has a passion for creating these memories for children in foster care.  Thirteen years ago, she started Camp to Belong in Colorado, a summer camp program that reunites brothers and sisters in a safe, neutral, week-long camp environment to create those special childhood memories.  For the 15,000 plus children in Georgia foster care, this camp has been far from reality, until now.
 
Jennifer Thomas, foster parent and program director for Camp To Belong Georgia, has the same passion to remedy this situation in Georgia and surrounding states.  She is bringing Camp To Belong to Georgia with plans to hold the first camp in the summer of 2008.  Georgia foster children separated from their siblings will have the opportunity to spend a week horseback riding, doing crafts and learning to trust each other again.
 
"This camp is really important, but just as important are the other reuniting events that we will hold throughout the year-holiday parties, movie nights, and sibling outings," said Thomas.  Her enthusiasm is contagious as she raises awareness of the sibling situation to community members, local churches and other service organizations.  Thomas, and other community volunteers who share the passion for reuniting Georgia siblings separated in foster care, is seeking support and sponsors for these events and involvement by members of both the business and child welfare communities are encouraged!
 
A kick-off fundraising event, the Swing for Sibs Charity Golf Tournament, will take place on August 21, at 12:30 at the Golf Club at Bradshaw Farms.  All proceeds will go towards organizing activities to reunite siblings.  For more information about this event or Camp to Belong Georgia, please visit www.camptobelong-ga.org.