COMMUNITY CARE

AT CAMP LAURELWOOD

From devoted and caring staff to a variety of fun activities, Camp Laurelwood is Connecticut’s premier Jewish overnight and day camp for a number of reasons, Camp Director Louis Lasko said.

“We keep a kosher kitchen, sing Hebrew songs, have Shabbat every Friday, and instill the values of kindness, community mindedness, and confidence in everything we do,” Lasko said of the camp’s Jewish activities.

In preparation for summer 2022, the Camp Laurelwood team began a journey to further develop its camper, staff, and community care work.

“The challenges of living in a post-pandemic world were apparent at camp in 2021, and we wanted to make sure we equipped ourselves and our seasonal staff with the right tools and training to take care of our campers and each other,” Community Care Director Elizabeth Kaplan said. “We started talking about mental health, wellness, accommodations, and camper success plans, to name a few.”

In December 2021, Camp Laurelwood received funding from the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Yedid Nefesh program, enabling the team to put a stronger focus on MESSH (Mental, Emotional, Social, and Spiritual Health) work.

The camp hired a trained mental health professional/ social worker to work during the summers, and also trained staff in Youth Mental Health First Aid. The program gives adults the tools to identify, understand, and respond to issues around mental health.

“We introduced new programming on Saturdays that focused on wellness and self-care, with the goal of showing our campers and staff that there are many ways to practice wellness,” Kaplan said.

“We look forward to continuing to create a joyful, fun, and caring place for campers, staff, alumni, and community members alike-where we can see each person for who they are and work together on building a kinder world.”

Elizabeth Kaplan, Community Care Director

Camp Laurelwood is located at 463 Summer Hill Road in Madison. For more information, call 203-421-3736 or visit www.camplaurelwood.org.