The DREAM Program, Inc.

Join us for the 9/11 Day of Service at Camp DREAM to help us close out a successful summer season and prepare for the fall! Register here: https://ideali.st/b9NnwH

It was a beautiful summer day in Fletcher Vermont at our outdoor adventure base, Camp DREAM. We welcomed Senator Peter Welch's team members for a tour of the facilities with Camp Director, Elise Oshlag, and Empowerment Director, Mike Foote. While leading a nature walk through the woods to the waterfront space, they shared history and updates about the camp along with insights into the gardening program and environmental stewardship. We appreciate the office's interest in learning more about Camp DREAM and the support of the work we are accomplishing throughout Vermont.

Yesterday, DREAMers in Boston attended the Edna Bynoe Playground Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in Roxbury, MA. Edna was the main driving force in providing space for DREAM in the Orchard Gardens Community. It was an honor for our Boston DREAMers to participate in this commemorative celebration recognizing the great accomplishments of Edna, as well those of her late sister, Ms. Val Shelley, who continued the legacy after Edna's passing. During the event, our DREAMers had the opportunity to meet Mayor Michelle Wu, who also attended the event. While there, they chatted with Mayor Wu, got their faces painted, and enjoyed some ice cream!

Pleased to announce DREAM's successful application for the VOREC Community Grant. DREAM has been granted funding to enhance capacity and develop facilities to support activities at Camp DREAM. A total of $6.3 million in VOREC Grants has been allocated to promote outdoor recreation throughout Vermont, backing 51 different projects. Read more for VOREC Press Release-

Congress is debating the FY25 budget and there are proposals on the table to eliminate funding for AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps NCCC, State Service Commissions, and the National Service Trust. We need to tell Congress to reject these short-sighted cuts and to invest in AmeriCorps. Join Voices for National Service, America’s Service Commissions, Service Year Alliance, and The Corps Network and #Stand4Service TODAY. It takes just 2 minutes to use these tools to send an email, place a call, or post on social media urging your lawmakers to invest in – not cut – AmeriCorps.

We are so excited to share that DREAM has been selected to benefit from the Shaw’s GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Reusable Bag Program, which makes it easy for shoppers to contribute to their local communities. For the month of July, whenever a $3.00 GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Reusable Bag is purchased at the Shaw’s located at Shaw's, 71 Boxwood St, Williston VT, $1 will be donated to DREAM. This is a great way to broaden awareness and help our cause. The Shaw’s GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Reusable Bag Program, which launched in March 2019, is a reusable bag program that facilitates community support with the goal to make a difference in the communities where shoppers live and work. To learn more about this program, please visit shaws.2givelocal.com.

DREAM extends a heartfelt, enthusiastic THANK YOU to the Vermont Children's Trust Foundation, who recently committed a multi-year grant to support our Guided Mentoring program. Guided Mentoring is a school-based peer-to-peer mentoring model serving the Northeast Kingdom, Northern Vermont, and Windsor. With a two-tiered mentoring approach, where high school mentors are, themselves, mentored and coached by DREAM staff and Mentor Guides, both mentors and mentees build protective factors against adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s) including abuse, neglect, drug use and exposure to drug use. VCTF's support will help catalyze Guided Mentoring's growth to new sites in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom and Washington County. This multi-year support will allow us to launch and then build to long-term financial sustainability for these sites over the next three years. We are so grateful for VCTF's commitment, as well as their support of community-based prevention programs across the state for the well-being of Vermont's children and families.

This past January, with the funding support from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, DREAM purchased a one-acre island on Metcalf Pond, located less than a quarter-mile away from Camp DREAM. The island will offer Camp DREAM exciting opportunities for overnight adventures, canoeing experiences, and ecology and marsh exploration. This month we are hosting a contest in which members of the DREAM community are invited to submit a name for the new island. This contest will run through the second week of July. The winner is invited to the ribbon cutting ceremony at the island on August 15th. You can learn more about the acquisition of the island in our recent press release, https://lnkd.in/gQvgPenT. And you can find the submission form for the contest here, https://lnkd.in/gYYd7RB5.

Summer has arrived, and DREAM is filled with energy! Will you assist us in creating a memorable summer by contributing towards essential supplies like books, sports gear, art materials, and more? Click https://buff.ly/4bg5HRY to support a DREAM location!

Spring proves to be a bustling season as we gear up for Camp DREAM's upcoming session, welcoming both day and night campers. Various partner organizations have graciously contributed to volunteer work days, alleviating the workload. Ben and Jerry's, The South Burlington Rotary Club, and Deloitte have all extended their support! We express our heartfelt gratitude to all those who dedicated their time and effort to clean, construct, relocate, paint, sand, and tidy up the camp. The collaborative effort serves as a testament to the adage that teamwork truly makes tasks lighter. #CommunitySupport #VolunteerAppreciation#BigDREAMS #CommunityPartners