Dear Camp Don Lee Friends,
As we embark on another summer of camping ministry and my 10th summer as director, I prayerfully consider my role and give thanks for all the leaders who have come before me and the nearly hundreds of thousands of young people who have participated in the Camp Don Lee experience.
I remember my summers as a camper in the late 1970s and then working on summer staff as a counselor. Like most of you, as the years have gone by, those experiences rank among some of the most formative of my life—the friendships, experiencing God’s love, the beauty of our setting, the personal growth, joy and confidence that occurred as I learned to sail and cook a meal over a fire with my group.
Those years are a small slice of youth, but have an outsized, lifetime impact for those fortunate enough to participate. Camp Don Lee has been creating these types of life-changing experiences every summer—and throughout the year—for more than 75 years. Now, more than ever, young people need the summer camp experience to disconnect from technology, focus on social-emotional learning, learn from trusted adults, make friends and grow in their faith.
Our ministry together is full of twists and turns, the excitement of building and heartbreak of loss, of a pandemic, wars and great storms, of decline and growth, but through it all our aim remains for children and youth to experience the transformational power of the Christian camp experience, where we grow in relationship with others and with God.
I hope that everyone receiving this letter will be moved to express their gratitude to camp through generosity of prayer and financial support. Whether you give from a place of gratitude for the camp’s influence in your own life or that of your children or grandchildren, the ministry is in need of your support. Our program fees, which we want to keep affordable for most families, have not been able to keep pace with the skyrocketing costs for food, utilities, fuel and labor.
Yet, our desire is to maintain and grow the program opportunities and facilities that have been so vital to the Camp Don Lee experience.
Our goal for this campaign is $100,000—a lofty one but one we believe is attainable–given the support we have received for various projects over the years. Even if you’ve never made a gift to the ministry before, now is the time to join us in this important work.
We are on a journey of ministry together, whether we worked on staff 40 years ago or just last year. Camp has progressed as the years have gone by, but many aspects stay the same: our beautiful but vulnerable setting on the Neuse River Estuary and our aim to have campers experience the love of Jesus Christ through our staff and various program opportunities.
We have already received a leadership gift of $10,000 from a family who are grateful for the formative ways the ministry has impacted their young adult children. You may give securely online be clicking HERE or the button below. During our Annual Fund campaign, you may also have an opportunity to reconnect with some of your camp friends via our Quartermasters for the campaign. Won’t that be fun?
Friends, these are exciting times for Camp Don Lee as we prepare to welcome our summer staff for training and hundreds of campers this summer. Please help others experience the vital ministry of Camp Don Lee.
Sail on Sailor!
Kate Metts, Director
Sailing Through the Years - Learning the Ropes
Since its beginning in 1948, the Don Lee ministry has been impacting the lives of children and youth for Jesus Christ through the wind and the water at our beautiful location on the Neuse River Estuary. What started as a summer camp ministry for Methodist youth in NC has grown to 9 weeks of residential summer camp serving more than 1,000 campers each summer from many Christian denominations, including a number of campers who do not have a church home. In addition, Camp Don Lee operates robust “shoulder seasons” with environmental education field trips for students across NC and weekend retreats for churches and other groups. About 10,000 young people are welcomed to our site annually.
Don Lee Ministry Impact - From Stem to Stern
Don Lee has been creating life-changing experiences every summer as youth participate living in Christian community. Our staff facilitates a setting that helps campers experience personal growth through sailing, friendships, faith formation and more. Three months following camp, 95 percent of our campers reported learning more about God at camp and 85% said camp helped them grow in independence, according to the 2022 independent survey by Sacred Playgrounds. For many of our thousands of school and retreat guests, it is the first time they have experienced a setting like Camp Don Lee and learned to greatly appreciate our natural world.
The Need - In the Wake
The past 10 years have been challenging at camp. Hurricane Florence left a major impact on our facilities across camp. A world-wide pandemic had considerable repercussions on attendance for all programs, and economic challenges including food and fuel pricing, employee pay, employee shortages and more have significantly riveted the budgeting process. Through all these issues, Camp Don Lee has persevered and in some areas, thrived. Even under these circumstances, the staff has been committed to resourcefulness in maintaining equipment, implementing safety precautions, continuing our mission, and extending Christian hospitality.
The Camp Don Lee Annual Fund – Ready About
Though our world is more “connected” than ever, increased rates of depression, anxiety and aggression are being reported across the country that indicate people are actually feeling more isolated and lonely. Young people need the camp experience more than ever. Camp is a place of belonging, a home away from home, a place to experience the awe and wonder of God’s creation and a place to feel comfortable and safe as God’s children.
Through the Annual Fund campaign, you can choose to support any of the following program areas: waterfront; facilities and maintenance; faith formation; and creation care. Your support means we can continue and upgrade our programs and facilities to meet the needs of the ongoing ministry, now and for future generations.
Call to Action - Don’t Miss the Boat
The Don Lee experience is a legacy of love and faithfulness. Have you taken the time lately to give thanks and to consider how these camp experiences and relationships have contributed to the person you’ve become? For 75 years, we’ve created spaces where campers are encouraged to move beyond limited understandings of self, others and God to discover that their talents and those of fellow campers are gifts from God to impact the world for Jesus Christ. The goal for the annual fund campaign is $100,000. Please join us with a gift today to help offer an experience that changes lives through the ministry at Camp Don Lee.
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