Billy Elliot!

What an Experience! The kids all had a blast! They all looked so nice dressed in their best outfits! None of the children had ever seen a professional play or musical before. Being in the Orpheum Theater was almost as magical as the play. I chose to take the children to this play because it stars a young boy that was pushed into boxing but had a passion for ballet. He fought tough odds but his dreams came true after all the hard work he put into dancing. I think it sparked some interests, for sure. What a great eye-opening opportunity!

The Shed!

Part of the funds that went to Camp Haven also provided for our new Children's Program shed which will house all our sports equipment and diapers! Take a look!

Cooking Week!

This was my personal favorite week because the kids were so proud of their food creations. One day the kids made "The World's Best Lasagna," and in my mind it really was. It's was amazing to hear that all the kids ate and loved their meal! Truly a treat for all parents to hear, I'm sure. They all took turns cooking the meat sauce and measuring out the ingredients. The next day the Camp Haven kids made their own Enchiladas! Those were super yummy too, so much so, that poor Lewis got none. Oh well! On Wednesday the kids made their own sugar cookies with frosting. They were truly nervous that their cookies did not look like it did in the pictures but when they tasted them they didn't care anymore. They were delicious! As for our big send off for Cooking Week we took the Camp Haven kids to Buca Di Beppo in Palo Alto where the kids filled themselves on amazing spaghetti and ravioli, with a salad too, of course. What a fun week for Camp Haven! I'm stuffed just writing this!

Dance Week!

Camp Haven sure had the moves this week! Our poor lawn will never be the same! The kids were jumping, running, and moonwalking all over the place! Camp Haven would like to give a BIG shout out to Nona with Captivating Dance and all her awesome volunteers for teaching the Camp Haven Kids their dance number. The kids spent all week practicing their dance moves then on Thursday the Campers performed for their families and the Haven Family House Staff. Also during the performance the children were presented with HUGE trophies that they earned with their hard work and dedication to dance. Way to go Camp Haven Campers! You earned those trophies!!

Tennis with Peanut!

This past Saturday a few of our Haven Campers were invited to attend a day long camp with Tennis Star Peanut Harper during the Bank of the West Classic where tennis stars Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams were also playing. The campers learned great things, not only about tennis, but about sportsmanship as well. The campers received signed books of 'Inch and Miles, the Journey to Success,' written by both Peanut Harper and famous basketball coach John Wooden. The Campers had a blast at the camp and have a new respect for the game AND their opponents. What an Amazing experience!

Wrap up to Altruistic Week!

Another busy week for the Camp Haven Kids! We started the week in our garden and doing our community walks and picking up trash that we see along the way. We've been having discussions about how we need to help our planet by recycling and other things like: see a need, fill a need. Our volunteers have been modeling altruistic behavior all summer so it was easy for the kids to really get excited and take pride in what they accomplished throughout this week. The week ended with a trip to the Half Moon Bay Beach where the kids cleaned the beach then had a BBQ and did some swimming in the afternoon. The kids had a blast! This was a big self-esteem builder for all the kids, they took great pride in all their altruistic works!

Altruism Week: Doing our part around Haven

This week we have talked a lot about the ways that we each contribute to our community; today we focused on the Haven grounds, and tried to make it a little more beautiful, one little chore at a time. Our campers and volunteers donned gloves and worked on a variety of projects around the site: some washed windows, some picked up trash, and some organized the camp supplies. Each group played as they worked, and learned how good it feels to accomplish something that everyone can appreciate.

It may seem odd to have campers cleaning, but we at Camp Haven feel that stewardship is really important, and that the kids will value their spaces more if they contribute to their cleanliness. It wasn't all hard work, the volunteers did an excellent job of making the tasks into games, goofing off a little, but still making huge improvements to their respective areas of the site.

Tomorrow we head to the beach in Half Moon Bay, where we will be doing a beach clean-up, but then having some free time to play and have a beach barbecue. All the kids are looking forward to the trip, because altruism is fun!