FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Matt Alt matt@threeriversrespite.com (843) 410-3195
THREE RIVERS RESPITE HIRES CAMP COUNSELORS AS A RESULT OF THE JOANNA FOUNDATION GRANT
JOHNS ISLAND, S.C., July 31, 2023 — In June, Three Rivers Respite received a $3,000 grant from The Joanna Foundation, a charitable corporation that is focused on responding to South Carolina communities’ needs and championing citizens’ health and education. Three Rivers Respite is a children’s camp in John’s Island that offers respite to South Carolina foster families. The organization will use the funding to hire and pay camp counselors trained in Trust-Based Relationship Intervention (TBRI).
Because of past trauma, children in foster care often have difficulty trusting adults. "Thanks to The Joanna Foundation, this grant will provide children in foster care the opportunity to spend a day at Three Rivers Respite this summer for one of our day camps,” said Matt Alt, chairman of Three Rivers Respite. “This grant will fund our counselors for the summer for each day camp, allowing us to maintain continuity in counselors, enabling the kids to bond with another adult in their lives who care about them and desire to see them grow and heal in their foster care journey.”
By having compensated staff trained in TBRI, Three Rivers Respite will be able to meet the complex needs of children in foster care who have faced adversity, early harm, and toxic stress. These camp counselors will help first through eighth graders connect with one another in nature while away from the distractions of everyday life.
The grant will fund a larger initiative by Three Rivers Respite to train caring and passionate camp counselors. In March 2024, Three Rivers Respite will begin recruiting and training camp counselors with a heart for serving children and families in foster care. Camp counselors will have an assigned group of 8-10 campers with age ranges of 6-12 and serve as an active leader in all scheduled camp activities, such as group hikes on camp trails, fishing, arts and crafts, games, and campfires. In addition, counselors will assist the Camp Director in daily tasks with the goal of creating a memorable, meaningful, and safe camp experience for all campers.
For more information on Three Rivers Respite and available camp counselor positions, visit threeriversrespite.com/counselor-application.
About Three Rivers Respite Three Rivers Respite’s mission is to serve South Carolina foster families by providing year-round respite opportunities. Understanding the joys and challenges of foster care, Three Rivers Respite allows foster parents a time to rest while children have a fun-filled camp experience. With a nationwide estimated average of 30-50% foster parent turnover rates, Three Rivers Respite aims to support families’ continued commitment to children in foster care by offering them respite.
About The Joanna Foundation Established in 1945 by Mr. Walter J. Regnery and Mr. William H. Regnery, the foundation was initially created to help the community of Joanna, S.C., home of Joanna Cotton Mills Community. Since then, The Joanna Foundation’s purpose has broadened to support organizations and programs that strengthen community capacity and enhance individual involvement in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester Counties, and the communities of Joanna and Newberry in South Carolina.
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