Lori Gates

Camp Fatima of New Jersey

Camp Fatima of New Jersey provides free summer camp programs for children and adults with special needs. We are a not-for-profit, non-sectarian, 501(c) (3) all-volunteer organization. Camp Fatima receives no government funding. We are funded entirely by private donations and fundraising events. Our mission is to provide free, life enriching camp experiences for children and adults with developmental disabilities. All staff members are volunteers. We have been in continuous operation for more than 50 years, running two week-long sleep-away camp sessions for children between the ages of 6 and 21 each summer. We also offer four weekend camp session for adults with disabilities, aged 23 and older, throughout the year. In doing so, respite is also provided for their families and guardians. Each child is provided a one-to-one individual counselor. With the help of an array of support staffs, these counselor and child pairs move through a week of singing, dancing, playing, or just absorbing the wonders of a joyous escape, filled with fun and adventure. The atmosphere of the adult weekends is relaxed, with a team of volunteers leading the adult campers, as a group, through a themed series of activities and events. Our programs are held in New Jersey, with most of our campers residing in the state. Likewise, our volunteers can come from anywhere, but most are from New Jersey. We strive to change lives and enrich hearts, one camper and one volunteer at a time.