Virtual Donates: $7,600.00

He was an administrator in an inner-city charter school in Indiana. I was a teacher in a public elementary school in Florida. And after years of working in schools with hundreds of different learners, we both saw a need in education that went beyond our classroom walls. Kids were bored. Kids were just another product on an academic assembly line, spending over 12,000 hours in a classroom before exiting with a diploma. As educators, we knew something needed to shift. We were two teachers with one vision: to create a school where every child can truly thrive. It was over a year ago that Justin Gingerich and I quit our jobs in order to pursue our dream of creating Ignite Academy. Because our focus is on educating world changers who are engaged and prepared for their unique purpose, we based the school around three initiatives: Building Health-Helping kids and families build physical, mental and spiritual health by developing daily habits and disciplines that will last a lifetime, Connecting Kids to their Story-Connecting kids with their bigger purpose and helping them live with passion and faith, Equipping Families- Providing a community where parents can gather, learn, and grow alongside their children.

We are an organization that provides a medically supervised, residential summer camp for children ages 7-17 who are living with heart disease, as well as additional programs for these children and their families. Our camping program is free-of-charge, as the families affected by this disease already incur financial burdens from medical bills. The children served by Camp del Corazon are not eligible for the summer camping experience offered by other agencies of the American Camping Association due to the fact that they require medical supervision and care. Many of these children have had several open-heart surgeries, pacemakers, and/or heart transplants. Many face several more surgeries in their futures. Our camp offers an opportunity to finally be ‘normal,’ to forget their ailments and to connect with others who have had similar experiences. For most of these children, this is the only experience they have away from home, as they are often too sick to go away from their parents, who have to monitor their health on a 24-hour basis.

Camp Victory – Creates magic and healing for children from rural western Washington who are survivors of sexual abuse. This all volunteer non-profit has provided annual residential camp that ensures a safe, fun, supportive environment that allows children to be their best selves, try new experiences, build confidence, and expand resiliency through crafts, archery, camp activities, and good food. This is our 30th year of serving girls ages 5-21 and our 8th year of serving boys ages 7-18.For 30 years, Camp Victory has run by consensus as an all-volunteer organization with over 150 trained, background checked adults from near and far that engage with our campers who find us through word of mouth, local therapists, law enforcement, and school counselors. Camp, as well as off season events, and specialized counseling happen on a shoestring budget through private donations and small foundation grants so that there is no cost to children or families to participate. We know we are interrupting the cycle of abuse and building resiliency for our participants. We live by the belief we are making a difference – one child at a time – infusing in them belief they are smart and brave and a survivor.