Camp Young Judaea Midwest has a no package policy. We will continue to accept letters and flat envelopes up to and including 9 x 12 size. Other Jewish overnight camps that have instituted no-package policies report that this change lifted the burden from parents, campers, and camp staff, and has had a positive overall impact on the camp community.
Receiving mail at camp is one of the highlights of a camper’s day. However, over the past several years, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of packages arriving each day.
Many families chose to send their child to CYJ because of the deep sense of community found here. We believe that camp is a place where each camper feels they are valued and treated equally.
We have found that the subject of packages, including who receives them and what is inside, has become an unnecessary source of stress and competition among our campers. While some of our campers receive many packages, some receive none at all. The reasons vary, but it still creates a sense of “haves and have-nots”. We have also found that while packages are sent with the best of intentions, the items are often quickly discarded, forgotten, and become another source of clutter and trash.
What can you send? We encourage you to continue to use creative ways of interacting with your camper through letters, which can include word puzzles, pictures, magazines, or a comic clip from the newspaper. We will also continue to offer e-letters through CampMinder. Your letter or postcard is more than enough to encourage, uplift, and connect your child to home while leaving them free to “get away from it all,” — including from toys, gifts, and other “stuff.”
Please don’t worry if your camper forgets something at home. We will allow packages with forgotten items to be sent to the Community Care Director in care of your child. Forgotten items are necessities like shoes, glasses, pillows, etc. They are NOT magazines, stickers, notepads, etc. We will have a stock of frequently needed items and provide them at no charge for campers who run out or lose something. If your package contains medication or something health-related, please address it to the Camp Nurse instead of the Community Care Director.
Please share this policy with your camper and with family and friends. Any packages that arrive at camp will be returned to the sender unless following the above steps.
