News, Updates and Upcoming Events from One Heartland
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Upcoming Events
October 4, 2014 -- Wisconsin AIDS Walk
December 11, 2014 -- Holiday in the Heartland

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Summer 2014
It's Camp Season!
The Summer of 2014 is off to a great start, as participants from Camp Northstar - our camp for kids living in transitional housing - headed north from the Twin Cities on Saturday, June 7 and enjoyed an amazing week of swimming, arts & crafts and fishing. 

Camp Northstar was the first of eight weeks of camp we will be hosting this summer. That's a whole lot of s'mores, campfires, lifelong memories and stigma-free days - none of which would be possible without your support. 

Immediately after Camp Northstar, we hosted participants from Camp 5210, our program for youth ages 7-17 who are struggling to achieve a healthy lifestyle. This year is 5210's biggest ever, with 66 attendees including camper families. 

Because the sessions run so close to each other, camp staff have to quickly "flip" the facility between groups. This means hard work and long hours. And laundry. Lots and lots of laundry. Here is staffer (and former camper) D'vonte with just one of many loads that he will be taking care of this summer.


Our camp staff's main priority is making each and every participant feel at home, and a big part of that is all of the "behind the scenes" duties. Like the laundry, and the cleaning, and the decorating, and the cleaning, and the activity planning, and the cleaning. But, says staffer Diana, "It's all worth it once you see all the campers get out of the vans and buses and all you see is smiling faces." 
Facility Updates
 
There's been a lot of exciting updates at the One Heartland Center this spring.  
 
We had volunteers come in and install bat houses on the outside of the retreat center. These will help reduce the mosquito population (yay!) and keep the winged mammals from roosting in cabin roofs.
 
 
With fewer bugs, campers will be more likely to use the new bike trails that were constructed this past May. 
 
 
 
The trails were built by volunteers, the bikes were provided by Free Bikes 4 Kidz and the helmets were donated by Allina Health. It's these kind of partnerships and community support that keep our facility fun and fresh for campers summer after summer.  
 
Another facility highlight is the new 1/4 acre vegetable garden. The land was plowed and tilled by volunteers from Americorps with implements donated by friends of One Heartland, and the garden is a great way for campers to learn about where food comes from and develop healthy eating habits. 
 
And finally, we love our new hexagonal campfire swing which was built by volunteers from Ohio State's Buck-I-Serv program. The lumber was provided by One Heartland's Facility Manager, Tony Koecher, and the swings will be a great setting for countless stories and songs.
 

Volunteers, in-kind donations, committed staff...it takes a village to make camp a reality each summer. Every campfire, every song and every s'more owes a debt to our donors, friends and partners. 

Celebrate PRIDE with One Heartland!
Join us at Union's rooftop in Minneapolis on Sunday, June 29 for drinks, entertainment and commentary on the Pride Parade. Proceeds are benefiting One Heartland, so it's for a good cause, too!


(Attendees must be 21 or older)
Help us win $50,000!
One Heartland was chosen as a finalist of the "Communities with Drive" program, sponsored by Zipcar. As one of 25 finalists from over 400 entries, we are eligible to win $50,000 in cash as well as $15,450 in Zipcar credit to support our camps and programs. Here's where we need your help: Winners are voted on by YOU.
 
Just click this link:  http://on.fb.me/1jwsmxR, like Zipcar's page,  click on the orange "Get Started" arrow, click on the green "VOTE" tab and then vote for One Heartland!
 
It takes all of two minutes and we would really appreciate your support, as the $50,000 would send 100 more kids to camp. 
 
100!!!
 
So please vote and share the link with your friends and family so they can vote, too! 
A partner's story...
 
Since 1990, national sorority Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha has offered women throughout the country the opportunity to learn about community, empowerment and giving back. In 2003, they designated One Heartland as one of their primary national charities, and since then they have raised money for our camps and programs through various events and campaigns -  such as the recent AIDS Walk in New York City. They are one of our biggest supporters and we cannot thank them enough for all they have done for One Heartland! 
 

Share your Heart Recap 
 
It was another hugely successful Share your Heart for One Heartland campaign at Pizza Huts throughout the great state of Wisconsin - stores that have been helping us send deserving kids to camp for 14 years. The locations raised almost $68,000 during this spring's campaign.

And thanks to their support and the generosity of Pizza Hut customers, this summer is going to be our best summer, ever.  

If you enjoy this newsletter, please feel free to forward it to friends and encourage them to subscribe, too. 

Contact Matt Becker if you have questions and thank you for reading!

--The One Heartland Staff



helpkids@oneheartland.org | oneheartland.org | 1-800-724-HOPE 
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