Melissa’s Camp Story

“I know from experience there is no better place to spend a summer than at sleepaway camp. Now in my 5th summer at Camp Westmont, I have been fortunate enough to experience so many new activities and have a lot of fun while making the best friendships of my life. I have learned and grown so much from my time away from home and being able to give someone who otherwise could not afford the same kind of opportunity feels so good. My Mitzvah Project was the perfect way to ‘give back’ by combining my love of arts and crafts, my friends and camp!

My project started with a ‘Fun in the Sun’ themed ‘Open House Art Party’ where my friends and family stopped by to create their masterpiece, have a sweet treat, and help make this meaningful service project a reality. For those who could not attend, they created their artwork at home and sent it to me. Our artwork was then transferred onto tiles with the help of Artware for Good. I presented the completed tiles at my Bat Mitzvah on March 26, 2016, which was so special for me, my friends and my family. I loved seeing the masterpiece we created together.

I feel very fortunate in my life and my Mitzvah Project, no matter how big or small, was an important way for me to show my appreciation for what I have. It helped me learn how good it feels to ‘give back.’ With just a $20 donation each of my friends created something so special. Together we created a tile wall mural to be donated to a SCOPE partner camp as a way to share my love and my community’s support for camp and for SCOPE! My project raised $1300 to send one child, less fortunate than myself, to a SCOPE camp this summer. This project was fun for me and my friends. It showed me how easy it is to give back to something that matters to you. For me, that is camp!” – Melissa Nadler, Camp Westmont