Bringing Kids to Nature

Our gifts for Mission & Service support inner-city programs for children, like Camp Cosmos run by Montreal City Mission.

An 11-year-old girl has new respect for her 9-year-old brother with special needs thanks to the environmental summer day camp.

Eden Haber, Assistant Director of Camp Cosmos, learned about the experience from their mother. Before the camp, the girl felt ashamed of her brother, says Eden. At the camp she was able to see how he interacted with other campers and how they enjoyed being with him, and her attitude changed. “She came out of the camp saying she was proud to have him as her brother.”

This is just one example of how Camp Cosmos brings together children: those with special needs and those without; kids who have lived in Canada their whole lives and refugees who arrived a month ago; children from different economic backgrounds, cultures, and faiths. “It’s a good opportunity for kids to integrate with other kids,” says Eden.

An environmental focus is fundamental. It’s reflected practically, as the camp tries to achieve zero waste through recycling and composting. “These kids are growing up downtown and don’t have a tangible connection with the environment,” says Eden. The camp provides that. Campers learn through ecological games, organic gardening, outings in nature, and visits to local farms.

Montreal City Mission, through Camp Cosmos, offers children and youth an appreciation of nature and a place to learn leadership skills that will help them become caring adults working for a better world.

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