Camp Fire is Always Evolving – Camp Fire Central Puget Sound

An excerpt from our Fall 2022 Torch Newsletter –

As our society evolves, Camp Fire is also evolving its practices to remain relevant, inclusive, and to best serve the needs of our community. Over the past several years our leadership, staff, board, and alumni have been engaged in deep and oftentimes difficult conversations, learning, and taking steps to address our own cultural appropriation.

Through this work, we have come to recognize that providing a safe and welcoming space for all requires taking action to discontinue our culturally appropriative practices and traditions.

This process can be uncomfortable and bring up lots of complex emotions but I believe there is value in this space and that it is a vital component to allowing us to continue evolving. We must take action and not just talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Putting our values into action is key to helping us build a truly inclusive and welcoming organization for everyone.

Camp Fire enjoyed a summer season of healing and change as well, our first since safely returning to full capacity. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the Equity Action Fund continues to make an incredible impact not only through camper scholarships but also in our recruitment efforts to hire and retain more staff of color. I am proud to share that our work has garnered the support of King County who recently awarded us a $67,000 grant to continue our efforts into 2023.

I invite you to join us by giving of your time, talents and/or treasures. This is a key moment for us all to continue to take action and follow the leadership of our young people who are demanding change and thoughtful reckoning with the past. I believe it’s a great opportunity for us to strengthen youth-adult partnerships and truly build a more diverse future that includes us all.

Yours in Gratitude,