During the summer, the Camp’s office hours in Waupaca are:

Monday - Friday: 9 am – 5 pm Central Time

Saturday: Closed in observance of Shabbat

Parents may call Camp during office hours at (224) 235-4665 during the session to inquire about their campers, but campers and counselors cannot use the phone or receive calls. An answering machine is on each night after office hours and through Shabbat. We will provide an off hours emergency number before camp.

We try our best to make sure that campers write letters at least twice a week to family, but campers may send letters to whomever they wish. Packing pre-addressed, stamped envelopes or postcards is a great way to encourage your camper to write home. It is very important for parents to write to their children-they do look forward to hearing from you. Please make your letters supportive and positive and to send one a few days before camp starts. Note: campers do not receive mail or emails on Saturday in observance of Shabbat. They will receive Saturday’s mail on Sunday and will be able to respond at that time.

All mail should be addressed to:

Camper’s Full Name

Cabin Number (if known)

CYJ Midwest

E989 Stratton Lake Rd

Waupaca, WI 54981

Missing Home
Many children miss home when they are at camp. You can help by writing often, being positive, supportive, and conveying a genuine feeling of happiness regarding your child’s stay at camp. Please encourage your child to stay at camp. It also helps to avoid using the word homesick because it gives the impression that the child might be sick.

Ninety-nine percent of missing home is gone by the third or fourth day of camp, but because the mail in Waupaca is slow, if your child is missing home, you might receive letters indicating this well into the second week of camp even though the feeling has passed. Look for up-to-date pictures of your child to see how they are doing or give us a call.

Here are a few suggestions for letter writing:

  • Write a letter to your child a week before camp so there will be a letter upon his or her arrival.
  • Make certain that the things you say will not contribute to missing home. For example, don’t mention special trips or how much your child’s pets miss him/her.

Our staff spend time during orientation training on how to cope with specific situations, including missing home. We deal with these situations by:

  • Training our staff to listen actively. This enables us to understand and solve the problems that the child is having. It also shows the child that there is someone who cares.
  • Teaching our staff to find out which activities the child enjoys and encouraging that child to participate in all activities.
  • Spending time every day with our staff discussing situations so that we are aware of all issues and can help a child overcome them.
  • Consulting parents-you know your child better than anyone. A member of our administrative team will be in touch with you if there is a case that we need help overcoming.