Denver Catholic

DCR - Nov. 5, 2014

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BY JULIE FILBY The Archdiocese of Denver, through Camp St. Malo Reli- gious Retreat and Conference Center, made an investment in Catholic camp programs for youth this year by awarding a grant of $100,000 to the John Paul II Adventure Institute. The grant intends to assist economically disadvantaged youth participating "in the wonderful youth ministry pro- grams overseen by the John Paul II Institute," according to a statement from St. Malo's. "This help from the archdi- ocese is phenomenal," Sandy Harem, executive director of the John Paul II Outdoor Lab and an original founder of the institute, told the Denver Catholic Regis- ter Oct. 30. "The grant will help us grow because there are some students not able to participate now because of funding." The Adventure Institute en- tails two ministries: the John Paul II Outdoor Lab, operated during the school year to serve student in Catholic schools; and Camp Wojtyla, a program for middle- and high-school students that runs during the summer. Both programs have their roots at Camp St. Malo in Allenspark: Camp Wojtyla in 2006 and the Outdoor Lab in 2008. The Adventure Institute launched in 2009 as an umbrel- la organization. When fire destroyed the St. Malo conference center in No- vember 2011, they were pressed to find a new site. Then after last September's flooding triggered massive mudslides that devas- tated the property, they sought a permanent new home. "After the fire, we moved the Outdoor Lab down the road," Harem explained. "Then af- ter the flood, we asked: 'Lord, where do you want us to go?' We started looking and found Camp Santa Maria in Bailey." The Outdoor Lab has oper- ated from Camp Santa Maria since the last year. Camp Wojty- la moved to 1,200 acres of wil- derness at Camp Cal-Wood in Jamestown. The grant, awarded last spring, is being applied to three primary areas: attendee schol- arships, staff development and staff salaries. "Without the support of the archdiocese, Camp Wojtyla could not possibly offer the faith and adventure integration that we do. From daily Mass to confession nights, we depend on priests for all our sacramen- tal needs," explained Annie Powell, executive director of Camp Wojtyla. "To have the fi- nancial support of the Archdi- ocese of Denver … allows us to not only survive as a program … but to thrive and focus on the next steps the Lord is calling us to, like how we can grow and ex- pand the program to serve even more children." Fees cover about 45 percent of the actual cost, and more than 25 percent of campers cannot afford the subsidized rate. "A majority of the funds is be - ing used for scholarships," Ha- rem said, adding that students attending the John Paul II Out- door Lab pay based on a sliding scale, thus necessitating supple- mental funding. Sources of fund- ing include fees paid, donors through The Catholic Founda- tion of Northern Colorado, cor- porate sponsorships and grants. The Outdoor Lab serves ap- proximately 900 students in 25 Catholic schools. About 19 per- cent come from lower income households. Since the grant, the institute has been able to more than double that percentage. "We're able to reach students we couldn't reach before," Ha- rem said. INDEX Archbishop's Column ......................2 The Catholic Difference ..................4 Letters to the Editor .......................4 Bulletin Board ..................................13 Crossword/Word Search ...............13 Nun of the Above quiz .................. 14 Service Directory ...................... 14-15 Grant gives youth a greater view NOVEMBER 5, 2014 114 Years of Service to the Gospel Volume XC - No. 38 www.DenverCatholicRegister.org I Follow us on INSIDE LOCAL NEWS PAGE 2 PAGE 3 Mudslide buries plans to rebuild mountain retreat center PHOTO BY GARRETT ELLWOOD/GETTY IMAGES Hoop it up with Nuggets on Catholic families night VETERANS DAY PAGES 10-11 Events to honor and pray for veterans Chalice of Vietnam War chaplain used at his memorial Mass STUDENTS from Assumption School attend outdoor lab near Estes Cone in Rocky Mountain National Park. See Grant, Page 3

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