Kesem at Illinois is a chapter of the national nonprofit organization that supports children impacted by a parent’s cancer diagnosis. The University chapter was founded in 2007 with the mission of providing a safe space for children through a weeklong camp experience.
In the summer, Kesem offers a camp where children, often dealing with emotional and mental health challenges, can be kids. Camp costs $500 per camper, but Kesem raises money to ensure it is free for every child affected by the hardships of their parent’s cancer process.
Naomi Friedman, junior in LAS and development coordinator for Kesem, described the objectives of the camp.
“The purpose of Kesem is to support children through their parents’ cancer diagnosis, and that’s in a lot of ways,” Friedman said. “The point of the camp is to provide a safe space where these children can decompress and get away from the hardships of their lives.”
It’s a vision that truly takes a village to bring to life, and camp counselors and volunteers are vital to the process.
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“Counselors ensure the camp provides a safe, friendly and supportive environment through hosting many activities,” Friedman said. “Each camper and volunteer have their own nicknames, which adds to the lighthearted atmosphere.”
The goal is not just to create a safe space for children, but an entirely different reality.
“At camp, we try to just create this entirely different world, so we all have camp names,” Friedman said. “My camp name is Dill, and (fellow Development Coordinator Kat Kamatovic’s) name is Dory. We just create these aliases and camp selves, and it’s like this place where you just get to be you, and there’s no worry in the world because these kids go through a lot, and so that’s why camp is so important.”
Throughout the week, Kesem ensures that every child can talk about experiences or struggles they may be encountering. To ensure their well-being, the camp has nurses and mental health professionals who are always available to offer care and support.
“We have ‘empowerment,’ which is a time for the kids to talk about their experiences,” said Kat Kamatovic, junior in ACES and development coordinator for Kesem. “If there is a camper that needs any sort of accommodation, we would go through the process of getting another volunteer to be their aid.”
Friedman said that Kesem faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic but has recently seen an increase in donations and memberships, allowing them to continue their mission. Kesem’s dedication is seen through community engagement, which includes fundraisers, profit shares with local businesses and partnerships with other groups.
“We’ve been doing a lot of committee work, organizing a lot of fundraisers and we just have a really passionate exec board this year that wants to see Kesem grow and flourish and return back to what it used to be before COVID-19, if not greater than that,” Friedman said.
One of Kesem’s most important fundraising days is Giving Tuesday on Dec. 3. Since 2012, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has been known as “a day that encourages people to do good.” There are no processing fees on this day, making it an ideal day for nonprofits to receive donations.
“We aim to raise a lot of money on Giving Tuesday because that’s also the day that businesses and larger corporations are more likely to give as well,” Friedman said. “Giving Tuesday is a good portion of our $60,000 overall fundraising goal.”
Kesem has not only made a positive impact on the children but also on the volunteers. Through their involvement, volunteers can experience personal growth, build meaningful relationships and find deep fulfillment in creating a supportive and fun environment for the campers.
“I’ve never been so passionate for a cause because you can really see up close the amazing impact that it has,” Kamatovic said. “I think that we just want to spread that impact, and that has some magic to as many people as possible so that they can experience this wonderful thing.”