Local camp receives multiple grants
Funds will be used to upgrade the outpost campsite that high school-aged campers use
Funds will be used to upgrade the outpost campsite that high school-aged campers use– Local San Luis Obispo-based nonprofit Friends of Camp Natoma, which provides week-long summer camp sessions for youth on the Central Coast, recently announced that it is the recipient of a grant of $3,000 from the Central Coast Funds for Children.
Central Coast Funds for Children has a mission to raise funds to help provide a hopeful pathway for
children in need in San Luis Obispo County. In 2020, they contributed to 20 local organizations totaling
$57,000. This is their 27th anniversary and over the course of those twenty-seven years, they have
donated $1,889,665 to local youth-serving organizations.
Funds received will be used to upgrade the outpost campsite that high school-aged campers use as their destination for an overnight backpacking trip, within their week program at Camp Natoma. A hammock hang-out are will provide these youth a safe area for team building, resting, and learning about the oak woodland.
Camp Natoma also received a grant from the Pony Barnes Foundation to host an LGBTQ+ Teen Leadership Camp this year.
Camp Natoma will be welcoming local youth, ages 15-19 who identify as LGBTQ+, to a two-night
and three day weekend camping experience where participants will explore the natural world of Camp
Natoma through hikes, geocaching, and archery, while coming together as a community of current and
future LGBTQ+ leaders. Participants will learn valuable leadership skills in a safe and welcoming space
dedicated to fostering a sense of community. Many of these leaders will be inspired to continue their
journey in the outdoors, providing youth leadership and mentoring, while simultaneously reaping the
mental health benefits of immersive nature activities.
Thanks to the grant from the Pony Barnes Foundation, Camp Natoma will be able to provide this
life-changing experience for local youth at an affordable cost to families, with sponsorships available to
campers who would otherwise not be able to partake in such an experience.
Camp Natoma will also be partnering with local queer youth-serving entities to promote access to the program.
Registration is now open to the public for Summer 2023 youth overnight camp programs at www.campnatoma.org and more information can be obtained by calling (805) 316-0163.
