Fall 2012

Laurel Foundation Logo
e-NewsletterTeen Adventure Camp Counselors 2007
Note from the Founder/CEO
Fall is here and school has started, our schedules are back to normal, and we find ourselves back in the fast lane of life.

This e-Newsletter edition, I wanted to pause and share with you thoughts that we instill in the children we serve.  It is your moment to reflect. 

Go Now, and Live


Experience. Dream. Risk. Close your eyes and jump.
Enjoy the freefall.
Choose exhilaration over comfort.  
Choose magic over predictability.  
Choose potential over safety.  
Wake up to the magic of everyday life.  
Make friends with your intuition.

Trust your gut.

Discover the beauty of uncertainty. 

Know yourself fully before you make promises to another.

Make millions of mistakes so that you will know how to choose what you really need.  Know when to hold on and when to let go.

Love hard and often and without reservation. 

Seek knowledge.

Open yourself to possibility. 

Keep your heart open, your head high and your spirit free. 

Embrace your darkness along with your light. 

Be wrong every once in a while, and don't be afraid to admit it.

Awaken to the brilliance in ordinary moments. 

Tell the truth about yourself no matter what the cost. 

 

Please help us to continue our mission to help children, youth and families affected by HIV and AIDS live this way.  Let's all live this way. 

 

Happy Living!

MA signature  

Margot Anderson

Founder/CEO

 
In This Issue
Summer & Teen Camp Wrap-Up
Documentary in the Works
LEAF Mentorship Camp
Online Support Group
Upcoming Events
Ice Cream in A Bag
Our Donors
Quick Links

Web Video
Click to view our video!

Summer & Teen Camp Wrap-Up
This past July, The Laurel Foundation hosted it's largest camp ever! One hundred and five campers affected by HIV/AIDS, traveled by bus and by plane from all over California and Nevada to YMCA's Camp Arbolado for Summer and Teen Camp 2012.

Summer campers rocked out at Rock & Roll Fantasy Camp!  They discovered their inner "rock stars," and through our programs found tremendous strength, power, and creativity within.  The programs included, dance, tie-dye, music videos, swimming, low-ropes and so much more! We also had fun with some academic challenges such as creative writing, math olympics, and astronomy. Each day the campers grew as they took on new challenges and learned to work as a team.
 
Teen Camp definitely ROCKED in 2012! This year the Teen's program was designed to challenge the campers both mentally and physically.  Every day the campers were given challenges that were designed to pull them out of their "comfort zones." They participated in several trust building activities, night hikes, and workshops. Through each activity they were given the opportunity to reflect on their experiences while interacting with the wonders of nature. The program was designed to parallel many of the challenges our campers face at home and equip them with life skills to help them achieve their personal goals and expand their worldview.

Summer and Teen Camp are truly transformational for everyone involved. That week of camp is a time for our campers to refuel and find their inner strength. As each of them return home to face the challenges of living with HIV/AIDS, they know that they are not alone and they are completely and totally loved. 

 

Click here to learn more about our residential camp programs. 

Documentary in the Works
The Laurel Foundation has been documenting the lives of the children, youth and families it has served for the past 20 years.  Many things have changed over this time, but many things remain the same.  The Laurel Foundation is putting the fascinating evolution of HIV and AIDS and how it has hindered the lives of those we serve into a documentary.

This past summer Emmy award winning cameraman, Chris Rhodes and his talented crew members went to Summer / Teen Camp with their cameras.  The stories that were unveiled made everyone on the shoot stop and reflect on life. 

We heard how one camper (turned counselor) was once involved in gangs and drugs as it helped him escape the issues he faced daily living with HIV.  But he changed his life after coming to The Laurel Foundation's Camp Laurel program. At camp, he saw how a life filled with support, good role models and positive thinking could help him succeed. So he changed the way he was living and is now our role model at The Laurel Foundation.  

We heard how one camper struggled through the horrid fighting of his parents, as they struggled to live a life with AIDS.  He recounted the story of how they split apart and then reunited after attending Camp Laurel, building a solid foundation for their relationship, one built on trust, respect and love.

We heard the story of how one child became the caregiver for her entire family at the age of 10 after her mother died of AIDS.  How she did not believe in herself and tried to kill herself, but through the miracle of Camp Laurel, she found hope and the will to live, believing in herself, only because others at camp believed in her.

We heard a story about how one camper praised The Laurel Foundation for saving her life and had only wished that her brother had come to The Laurel Foundation programs,  as it might have saved him, changed him, and he might not be serving a life sentence in jail as a result of one bad decision.

HIV and AIDS changes lives.  There is no question about that.  But The Laurel Foundation changes lives too.  

Thank you to Chris Rhodes and his crew, Joe Botana, Birns and Sawyer and Advance Digital Service (ADS) for your continue support of this project. Once completed we know this documentary will change the way the world views AIDS.  We will keep everyone posted on the progress of the documentary and when it will be released.

If you would like to get involved with this project please click here to contact Margot Anderson at The Laurel Foundation office.
The LEAF Mentorship Program Camp
This summer twenty three mentees and mentors embarked on an adventure to attend our first LEAF camp. In a beautiful meadow located in Big Bear, CA the campers spent quality time together, while they enjoyed the outdoors. 
 
During the retreat the mentees and mentors participated in various activities that focused on building relationships and a community amongst the campers. Their day began with a team building activity in the wilderness that focused on developing trust. In the afternoon the mentees participated in an HIV 101 workshop, while the mentors attended a training that gave them additional tools to best support their mentees. By night they sat around the camp fire as they read passages from their favorite books that impacted their lives. 

This camp provided an opportunity to help children and youth affected by HIV and AIDS continue to strengthen their bond with their mentors.  The LEAF Mentorship program offers these children a unique outlet and support system that allows them to face the adversities associated with HIV and AIDS.  
 
"I had an amazing time with my mentor this weekend! We got closer and I learned so much about the both of us. Definitely an experience I will remember forever. " - Camper

Click here for more information about The LEAF Mentorship Program. 
Video Support Group Update
The Laurel Foundation launched the very first facilitated online video support group for children and youth living with HIV/AIDS this month. IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!  

Longtime volunteer and licensed clinical social worker, David Moss, facilitated the group of five 15-year old participants. We utilized Go To Meeting, which allowed us to have video conferencing, all in a private and confidential setting. The participants expressed their excitement about getting to speak with each other outside of camp and discuss their lives with each other. Some future topics they want to cover include, HIV/AIDS, sex, dating, family relationships, friendships, drugs/alcohol, grief/loss, peer pressure, communication and overcoming adversity.

They are able to participate in the comfort of their own homes and do not have to worry about transportation to in-person groups. In addition, we are able to meet their preference for online communication, which we discovered by surveying teens earlier in the year.  

The response from youth, their parents and potential social workers has been tremendous. We are already enrolling participants for our next group, which will begin in two weeks, and we expect to end the year with at least three or four ongoing groups. The groups will serve as the catalyst for change, as youth log off, vitalized by social connections to rise above isolation and stigma to bravely cultivate healthy, fulfilling lives.


Click here for more information about the Video Support Group.
Upcoming Events at The Laurel Foundation



Video Support Group ongoing
AIDS Walk Los Angeles October 14, 2012
HIV/AIDS Service Provider Breakfast
October 30, 2012
16th Annual Golf Tournament ♦ November 5, 2012
Holiday Party ♦ December 1, 2012  WORLD AIDS DAY
 Winter Family Camp Training January 26 & 27, 2013
Winter Family Camp February 18-22, 2013 
 Summer / Teen Camp Training June 22 & 23, 2013
Summer / Teen Camp July 6-13, 2013

 



Click here to find out how to volunteer at this fun-filled event!
Ice Cream in A Bag
Summer is just about over, but there are still a few hot days ahead. So why not savor the last days of summer with a delicious treat? Whether you are going camping, barbecuing, or spending a day in the park, making ice cream in a bag is delicious and so fun to make!

What you will need:  

* 3/4 cup cream                           * 1 gallon-sized zip-lock bag

* 1/2 cup milk                              * 1/2 cup rock salt  

* 1/4 cup sugar                            * 3 cups ice  

* 1/4 teaspoon vanilla                * Gloves or towel for mixing  

* 1 quart-sized zip-lock bag

 

First add the cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla into the quart-sized zip-lock bag and squeeze to mix. Seal the bag properly (try to remove as much of the air from the bag as possible). Add ice and rock salt to the gallon-sized bag and place the quart-sized bag of ingredients inside. Seal and shake the gallon-sized bag, rocking it back and forth quickly.  You can also substitute the gallon-sized bag with a coffee can, to roll or kick it around (a great way to get out some energy if you have a rambunctious group). Use gloves or a cloth to hold the bag.

Shake for 10-15 minutes until ice cream is as frozen as you would like. Remove the small bag from the larger. Carefully open the bag so as not to let the saltwater drip. Scoop out frozen ice cream and enjoy!

The Science Lesson
Why do we need salt? Ice alone will not cause your liquid ice cream mixture to freeze. If you tried that, you would end up with a bag of cool water and a bag of soupy ice cream because as the ice cooled the mixture, its own temperature would increase above freezing, melting the ice.
By adding salt, you are lowering the freezing point of water, which allows it to absorb more energy (heat) from the ice cream liquid, and its final temperature will be much lower than 32� F (or 0� C for you metric folk). This causes the ice cream mixture, which does not have any salt in it, to freeze as the salt and ice melt.

Is salt the only substance that will work? No, any solute (dissolved particles) will lower the freezing point of water. The reason being that when other molecules are introduced to water, they interfere with water's ability to solidify at 32�, thus resulting in a lower freezing point. Salt is the most commonly used because its chemical structure allows it to rapidly dissolve in cold water, causing it to be more effective.
Thank You Donors


We would like to say THANK YOU to our donors who have supported our efforts.
With your generosity, we are one step closer to serving over 500 children and youth this year!