2020 Donors: Tax receipts on the way! If we have your email address, we sent your tax receipts by email. If not, we mailed you a paper copy and it should arrive soon. Note: Your email address on file in CampBrain may not be the same email where you received this update. Questions? Need to update your email? Prefer a paper copy? Let us know!
The Wild Women Retreat has been rescheduled to May 14-16. Join us for a Wild Women Happy Hour via Zoomon February 26 at 5pm. Happy hour will include games, breakout room discussion, and faith reflection. Link to Zoom call here. Meeting ID: 868 4585 8592 Passcode: 649453
Join us for upcoming Summer Camp Town Halls on the second Tuesday of each month, from now until summer. Details below!
Plan a Family Retreat anytime! Let's plan a safe, fun family getaway to the Farmhouse or the Loft. 14 days of health pre-screening required for all overnight guests
Now booking group retreats for Fall 2021! NEW! Book now, pay later option for 2021 group retreats. Make plans with your groups who are meeting virtually now and would like to gather in person later.
Questions? Reply to this email for more info!
Sign up on CampBrain for Winter Camp at Home (grades K-12) and/or the Wild Women Retreat (21+). Register now, pay upon arrival options for retreats.
Pre-register for Summer Camp 2021!
As stated by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), “outdoor ministries strive to strengthen, support and lift up the body of Christ through building relationships with others and with God while enjoying creation.”
We aim to live out this ministry by following the greatest commandment that Christ taught us - to love our neighbors as ourselves. We understand this teaching as being inclusive of everyone, with no exceptions. We believe that God declared all plants, animals, life, and creation as “good” and has blessed us all. We celebrate, affirm, and value the diversity present in our communities: diversity of ethnicity, culture, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, faith, belief, ability, age, identity, and any other classification. Sincerely, we say, “all are welcome.” YOU are welcome here.
The above statement has been the expected culture here since camping and retreats began by Lutheran families in Fort Valley starting in 1949. We stand with our local ecumenical partners, community organizations, and the ELCA to reclaim our history, recognize our past (good and bad), and strive to always be a welcoming host.
Because the World Needs Caroline Furnace Tomorrow
Six Month Goal: $200,000
Number of Gifts: 255
Gifts Total: $135, 516
Note: Follow along as this tree fills with leaves! Each leaf represents one gift and the leaves get darker for larger gifts. The cardinals represent gifts of greater than $5,000. The average gift is $100.
We will get through this together.
Saving your outdoor ministry starts NOW.
1. Send an above-and-beyond, one-time gift.
2. Set up online 20 for 20 monthly giving (ACH preferred).
3. Ask your church leaders about congregational support for Caroline Furnace.
Or mail a check to 2239 Camp Roosevelt Rd. Fort Valley, VA 22652
Summer Camp Updates
1. Check out our new summer schedule! Updates are based upon changes to school district calendars across the state. The following changes have been made:
Confirmation Camp is moving to new dates. New dates TBD as we meet with Confirmation Camp pastors. (Contact us if you would like to be included in this conversation!)
Camp at Home sessions have been shifted to one week later, to allow more campers to participate. Camp at Home is now June 20 to July 8 and July 18 to August 5. Zoom 'cabin groups' will meet weekly.
Family Camp is now offered during Week Zero (June 13-17) and Week Eight (August 8-12). Family Camp is designed for 'future campers' and will include more staff-led activities than our weekend family retreat option.
2. Join us for a series of Town Halls on the second Tuesday of each month, beginning on February 9 at 7pm. This month, we'll discuss the summer schedule and share more about why we are offering each of the three options - overnight camp, family retreats, and camp at home. Join each Town Hall via Zoom, watch the livestream on Facebook, or view later on our website. All sessions will be recorded. You may submit questions in advance to julie@carolinefurnace.org (or you may respond to this email). Town Hall meeting info:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86061319969?pwd=TmU4THlOc2pORmZLWmdtMVcwdlJqUT09 Meeting ID: 860 6131 9969 | Passcode: 396017
3.Pre-register for summer camp today! Pre-registration is quick and easy, with only the most basic forms included and no payment required. This helps both our staff and your family with planning for the summer. Reserve a space in your favorite camp and preferred dates AND help us project our needs for this summer! Pre-registering is low commitment and can be updated later, no problem.
NEW! Youth Group Service + Adventure Week, July 4-8
$375 per person; some activities may cost extra
Customizable lodging, meals, and activities for small groups (contact your pastor / youth leader). Bring your small group to camp for a week of service projects and adventure! This is a great opportunity for your ELCA Youth Gathering group to build community in 2021 before the 2022 Gathering. This is a safe alternative to international mission trips in 2021. The daily schedule is custom-built to fit your group; both on-site and off-site service projects and adventures are available. No youth group? No problem! Family / friend groups are welcome as well. Make your plans now; space is limited!
Questions? Want to learn more? Reply to this email!
Meet Our Program Team!
Co-Program Director: Julie Kroll
Julie graduated from Brevard College in 2016 with a degree in Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education. She's been at Caroline Furnace full time since fall 2017, as Director of Sales, Marketing & Communications, and she served on summer staff for three years before that. This summer, she's stepping into a Program Director role while Abby covers Marketing & Communications!
Co-Program Director: Anna Derrick
Anna is graduating from Roanoke College with a degree in Biology and a Christian Studies minor. In 2020, she served on the Program Team as Healthcare Coordinator. Anna has been on summer staff since 2019 and was a camper at Caroline Furnace for several years.
Marketing & Communications Intern
Abby is double majoring in Psychology and Spanish at Virginia Tech. She volunteers with Camp Kesem and serves on the leadership team of The Well Lutheran Campus Ministry. This is Abby's third summer on staff at Caroline Furnace.
Healthcare Coordinator
Gavin is at Roanoke College, majoring in Biology with a minor in Public Health. At Roanoke College, he serves as a Resident Advisor (RA) and Event Staff. Gavin has been on summer staff at Caroline Furnace since 2019.
Apply for Summer Staff (or pass it along)!
College students, high school graduates, and young adults -
come work at camp this summer!
Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp & Retreat Center is in Fort Valley VA, located in the Shenandoah Valley near Washington DC. We offer eight weeks of co-ed Summer Camp to grades 1-12, with activities such as canoeing (both day and multi-night), rock climbing, hiking, archery, horseback riding, fishing, and more. Flexible, paid academic internships and college credit are available. Base pay is $2,000 for the summer, plus lodging and meals - with higher pay for experience at any camp, years in college, and certifications (WFA/WFR, EMT, Lifeguard, ACA Canoe, Archery, etc.). Gain real-world experience in marketable skills sought by Fortune 500 companies: leadership, communication, problem solving, and more.
Learn more and apply online at www.CarolineFurnace.org. Interviews are scheduled on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.
Dear Overnight Summer Camps,
I am pleased to inform you that work is underway to put guidelines in place for overnight summer camps to operate in Virginia in 2021. We look forward to working with you and your colleagues on those guidelines and we will inform you once we have amended the Governor's Executive Order and the Phase 3 guidance to allow for summer camps to operate safely, should the health data support opening at that time. However in the meantime, our office wanted to give you and early indication so that you and your staff as well as your campers and their families can begin planning for a safe opening.
As you remember from previous conversations, I am leading this work for the administration in partnership with my colleagues at the Virginia Department of Health. I appreciate the work that you and the other summer camps have done in working with us over the past few months, and I look forward to getting these plans into place in early 2021 so Virginia overnight camps are able to plan for safe operations next summer.
Best,
Cassidy Rasnick
Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade
