UPDATED: For once, it's not for LIVESTRONG...

Ok. There is no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it and put it out there.

My children were turned down for scholarship funds for summer camp this year. Now, of course the "easy" solution is to say, "Sorry kids, no camp for you."

The reality is, however, I had to acquiesce and stop sending them to their day school of 4 years, just as they were really getting into a "groove," making lasting friendships, etc, because I couldn't afford to send them without scholarship, and their places were given away. We had to take a pass on birthday parties for the past year because of the added expense that wasn't in the budget. More often than I should, I have to say "no" to them when they ask for simple, little things like a package of Silly Bandz, a new toy, or a new outfit. We aren't members of any congregations, nor can I send the kids to Hebrew School because, you guessed it, we simply don't have the money.

But the one thing, the one thing I was not going to deny my children was summer camp. It is the only place that my son is fully confident. (And the transition to public school, to a standard classroom, to then being diagnosed after months of agonizing failure with ADD, and then being put into yet another classroom setting, has not been kind to him. And my daughter? If it weren't for her evergreen spirit, she'd be just as miserable. And, even with her amazing strength, she still breaks down about missing her old school, being with other Jewish kids and her friends.)

The news that we were denied scholarship - not a cent - is especially devastating, as I was given that information less than a week ago - with less than 3 weeks until the first day of camp. I'm desperately scrambling to come up with the funds.

I'm taking a page out of my LIVESTRONG notebook, here, and I'm going to throw out a challenge - to myself. I can contribute $2,000 towards the $6,500 tuition owed by June 23, 2010.

I am willing to ride my bike, even with my sprained back (right and left sacreiliac ligaments are sprained, requiring cortisone shots every other week into each side), for 48 hours straight. That should be a couple, if not a few, hundred miles. If I get permission from work to take off to do it, I will begin on my birthday, Sunday, June 20 after I'm done at work and ride straight through to Tuesday, June 22, the day before I have to take the kids to camp. That is, of course, I enough people are willing to help contribute towards the kids' camp tuition.

I won't take checks directly - I don't want people to make the checks out to my name, and think this is some kind of get rich quick scheme. Checks in any amount should be made out to and sent to BY JUNE 22:

Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake
50 West 58th Street
New York, NY 10019

 Or you can call  212-451-6233 and ask for Jessica - she will accept a credit card payment over the phone.

Just, please, be VERY CLEAR that the money is to go towards Zachary and Ariella Mendes' tuition accounts. (Also, leave a comment or contact me directly to let me know so I can alert the camp.)

If I had more time, I'd do more myself. I'd put together a Mary Kay Sale. But I don't have time. This is the only thing that I can think to do, especially while I try and find some organization to help. I will tell you, before you ask if I've gone to the UJF Federation, I have. I've gone to JewishCamp.org. I've tried to reach the Masons. I've gone to my local Hadassah Region. I've appealed to National YJ & Hadassah. I've contacted Jewish Family Services. I've either been turned down by all of them, referred to one from the other, or they have already dispersed all the scholarship money.

If you have new suggestions, please let me know. But, given the time crunch, I've been advised this may be the best route to do it.

Please pass this onto any interested parties. The good news is, for those of a philanthropic nature, there will be no question that the money is going to go directly to benefit 2, young, Jewish and deserving children whose gratitude will be tremendous. (And, you'll help one mom, who is working 2 jobs doing her best to provide what little she can for her kids, and trying to show them that charity starts at home, teaching them how to be good people, involving them in charity work with Young Judaea and LIVESTRONG, and that they can do anything.)

Thank you!

6/21/2010: P.S. A couple of messages came to me asking what I've done to fix it, etc, it's easy to complain but not do anything about a situation and just "beg". For those who don't already know, in addition to my LIVESTRONG fundraising efforts (which you can follow on my other blog), I've been working very hard for the past year and a half to create a Young Judaea alumni organization to address some of the issues within the movement, and, ironically, fundraise for scholarship funds that are lacking, establish funds to help "fill in the gaps" for families when the scholarship funds aren't enough, as well as provide programming year round for alumni and assist members of YJ when there aren't staff members around to help mentor, program and staff events and other such initiatives. I'm not a cup-in-hand beggar. I get hands-on and try and do what I can, when I can.

BTW, the bike-a-thon is going to have to be modified. Between work hours and my back, I can't ride as I'd hoped. That being said, I will be riding. I can promise you that. If the kids can be dropped off as hoped Wednesday morning, I will try to ride from the moment I get back from dropping the kids off until 10pm (including a mountain-bike ride in Pound Ridge). I will get that 48-hours done as soon as possible, it just may not be consecutive days and spread out.

10:00 pm UPDATE:

In response to an exchange with Jessica at the office, and, after not receiving word on scholarship until mid-June - and email follow ups when I received invoices with the "final balance" with responses from the camp saying that the balance didn't reflect scholarship and that I could wait until the scholarship decision was made, I received this email, sent by the camp at 8:22 pm:

Dear Ms. Mendes,

This letter is meant to inform you that neither of your children, Zachary Mendes-Barry and Ariela Mendes-Barry, have been successfully registered for the summer 2010 season at Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake (“Camp”).  According to Camp’s policies, which  can be found in the Parent’s Guide published on April 22, 2010, all payments were due in full on May 15, 2010 and all forms had to have been completed, signed and submitted by May 15, 2010.  As of June 21, 2010, Camp has yet to receive full payment or the required forms for either Zachary or Ariela. 

In order to enable your children to participate, Camp is willing to make a onetime exception for you and extend the deadline for your full payment and completed forms till 12:00pm tomorrow, Tuesday, June 22, 2010.  If full payment and all the completed forms (including current insurance and prescription coverage) for both Zachary and Ariela are not submitted by that time, please be aware that you and your children will not be permitted past the front camp gate on opening day, Wednesday, June 23, 2010.  Please note that Camp intends to take all necessary actions to enforce its policies.

Your current balance is $4,245.  Please contact our New York office in order to pay this balance and submit all forms at (212) 451-6233 by noon tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Alecia Sachs

Hadassah National Camps Chair

Helene Drobenare, M.A., MS.W.

Camp Director

Camp Young Judaea Sprout Lake