YMCA Family Camps are summer camps the bring whole families to explore Minnesota's outdoors. The thing that makes Camp Northern Lights uniquely valuable is that when the Y was opening it, one of their major goals was inclusion of historically under-represented communities at the camp. When they talked to families of color from Minneapolis about what kept them from coming to camp (or participating in activities like camping generally), a lot of people cited discomfort with being the only family of color at a camp (or campground). So CNL set up what they called STEPS weeks, where half of the sites at the camp are reserved for families of color (or LGBTQ+ families -- that's a separate week) on a pay-what-you-can basis.

Outdoor activities -- camping, hiking, fishing, boating (etc. etc. etc.) -- are central to Minnesotan culture, but there are real barriers and I have found it really moving to hear about the ways that CNL has brought in communities that didn't have ready access to those activities. Other Y camps have started implementing STEPS weeks, which is awesome! But CNL was the first.

I will note that my family has some significant connections to YMCA family camping -- we started taking our kids to the older family camp (Du Nord) years ago, and my younger child, Kiera, has worked as a counselor at Camp Northern Lights for the last two summers. Some of my affection for CNL is the result of having a daughter who deeply loves the camp, and family camping, and the way in which camp gets people to fully unplug from screens for a week and connect with each other and with nature. Kiera was an LDP (counselor-in-training) in the inaugural STEPs week, the very first summer, and came home deeply moved by the experience.

Last summer, CNL had a fire. No one was hurt, but it took out the only commercial kitchen at camp along with the facility where they housed the LDPs. They spent the rest of the summer cooking meals 11 miles away and transporting the food to camp, and housing the LDPs in platform tents. This camp has never had a dining hall, and it's something they've been trying for several years to fundraise to build. Their current goal is to rebuild an expanded commercial kitchen starting next spring.

I am raising money for CNL's "Be the Light" campaign, to rebuild and expand dining facilities at camp. I would love it if you would join me!