William Trippley Youth Development Foundation

Camp Encouragement

Finding Joy After Loss

Today is Delco Gives Day, and your donation to the Will Trippley Foundation is part of something bigger. Across Delaware County, thousands of people are coming together to invest in the nonprofits making their communities stronger. Thank you for being one of them.

Here is what your gift makes possible.

WHAT IS CAMP ENCOURAGEMENT?

Since 2016, Camp Encouragement has given children in Chester, PA, and the surrounding communities who have experienced loss something most of them have never had: professional support, genuine joy, and a community that understands. What began as a humble three-day program has grown into a transformative three-week experience serving over 300 children, completely free of charge.

In 2026, we are expanding further than ever before.

WHAT MAKES THIS PROGRAM DIFFERENT

For many families we serve, professional counseling is simply out of reach. The cost is too high. The resources are too few. Camp Encouragement changes that.

Every child who attends receives both individual and group counseling from a licensed professional at no cost to their family. This is not a program add-on. It is the foundation of everything we do.

WHAT CAMPERS WILL EXPERIENCE

Children ages 7 to 12 will spend three weeks at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Upper Chichester, PA, from June 15 to July 1, 2026:

🎙 Podcast creation with CMP Radio

🦁 A visit to Elmwood Park Zoo

🎨 Art, music, storytelling, and games

🌲 An overnight trip to Genesee Valley Outdoor Learning Center in Maryland

Three campers have also been selected to attend Bucks Rock, a four-week arts and creativity program in Connecticut.

EXPANDING OUR REACH IN 2026

This year, Camp Encouragement is partnering with Chester Education Foundation to bring healing-centered programming to 9th and 10th-grade students in August 2026. Your donation helps fund the licensed counselor who makes this expansion possible.

OUR GOAL: $20,000

Every dollar goes directly toward:

• Licensed counseling for every camper
• Transportation and lunches
• Creative supplies and activity materials
• Support for Bucks Rock scholarship recipients

Every child navigating loss deserves a safe place to heal, access to professional support, and the chance to rediscover joy, regardless of their family's income or zip code.

Over 300 children have walked through our doors since 2016. With your help during Delco Gives Day, hundreds more will follow.

Will you be part of their story? Donate today.