Every year, organizations across the world celebrate Giving Tuesday, a radical generosity movement centered around unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and their world. This year, Giving Tuesday is extra special as we are celebrating DREAM’s 25th birthday!
As we mark the 25th anniversary of DREAM, we reflect on where we started and who we’ve become. 25 years ago, DREAM consisted of 30 mentoring pairs in Vermont. Built with the vision of having caring adults meaningfully involved in children’s lives, a weekly mentoring program was born. This laid the groundwork for our Village Mentoring Program.
By providing a support system of both DREAM mentors and community members, our mentoring programs create a highly social experience and foster a strong sense of group identity for our DREAMers. Weekly program activities, known as “DREAM Fridays”, take our youth out of their home communities and into the wider area, providing them with a weekly adventure. These experiences are essential for helping our youth grow in confidence by encouraging them to embrace new challenges and take them out of their comfort zones. They're also incredibly fun! Past activities have included Halloween parties, college football games, and visits to the local fire department. With a donation of $25,000, you can help fund an entire year of mentorship programming for one of our DREAMers.
Addressing programming gaps during mentors’ summer and winter breaks, DREAM purchased land in Fletcher, Vermont through the help of the Vermont Land and Trust to establish Camp DREAM as our year-round adventure base. Initially a simple campsite in the forest on Metcalf Pond, Camp provided an escape from the urban environment, teaching the value of environmental sustainability and allowing youth to connect with nature and each other. Today, our permanent sleeping structures provide a more substantial shelter while maintaining the rustic environment of Camp. DREAMers enjoy a simple living experience without running water or electricity.
Along with traditional camp activities, they also work in the garden, cultivating food for meals. DREAMers create a sustainable food system by composting food waste and using the resulting compost to enrich the soil of our vegetable garden! They also learn how to make fun crafts using items from the garden or local farms. Activities include milking cows, making ice cream, and making beeswax wraps! Through a donation of $2,500, you can give 5 DREAMers the gift of a 10-day camp experience. Providing DREAMers with an adventure away from home where they will connect with nature, discover new passions, and create lifelong memories. Camp DREAM is a no- cost, immersive summer experience available to all of our enrolled mentees.
Over the next decade, DREAM expanded across the Northeast, establishing chapters in both Boston, MA and Philadelphia, PA, allowing us to reach a larger and more diverse group of youth. Your donation helps us continue this meaningful programming and creates the possibility of further expansion into new regions.
In the past 25 years we’ve grown to serve over 800 youth. With your support this Giving Tuesday, we can continue empowering youth and expanding our reach across the Northeast and beyond!
Click here and donate on December 3rd to be a part of this global generosity movement!
Happy 25th Birthday, DREAM! Here's to celebrating this milestone and the many more to come! 🎉🎂
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