United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County (UBGC) opened Camp Whittier for a Member’s Day on Saturday, April 24, thanks to the Audacious Foundation.
The Audacious Foundation funded UBGC’s after-school program SMART Journeys from September 2020-May 2021, along with two camp days at Camp Whittier.
All eight sites from Carpinteria to Lompoc have been open 3-6 p.m. at no cost to kids who qualify for free and reduced school lunch. For three hours every weekday, hundreds of kids have been able to take dance and yoga classes, learn organic gardening, participate in outdoor activities, and eat a healthy snack.
UBGC opened Camp Whittier for 94 members to enjoy the new Zipline, high and low ropes course, a STEM activity from the Eling’s Math & Science curriculum, archery and hiking.
“How do we push ourselves to overcome our fears, especially after being in lockdowns from the pandemic?” asked Laurie Leis, UBGC executive vice president of advancement. “Well, our club kids showed us how on Saturday on the Ropes Challenge Course after climbing a 30-foot rock wall and jumping off on the Zipline.
“I think the youngest was seven. As she came up to me shaking, she said, ‘I did it!’ I get empowered every day I’m around our kids.”
UBGC followed health guidelines that limited the number of members and specific activities.
The organization hopes to be able to have more members at the next Members Day in June.
UBGC thanks FastSpring, which spent the day ensuring activities and rotation ran smoothly. Employees signed up to volunteer for the Saturday Camp Day and spent the day supporting the ropes course, cleaning and sanitizing equipment, and assisting with hikes and archery.
“We love FastSpring,” said Michael Baker, UBGC CEO. “They have done several corporate playdates at our clubs, and they have expressed how eager they are to get involved again. They were a large part of a successful day for our members. Thank you, FastSpring.”
Camp Whittier is a year-round camp and retreat center next to Lake Cachuma in Los Padres National Forest, north of Santa Barbara. Its private 94-acre site within an oak woodland canyon hosts an abundance of wildlife.
“After a 15-month hiatus, seeing our club kids from all our clubs back up at Camp Whittier again was a sight I will not soon forget. Camp Whittier is truly a special place, and we can’t wait to see it full every day,” Baker said.
Camp Whittier‘s facilities are available from a single-day meeting space rental to week-long overnight lodging with staff-led nature programming. It can accommodate groups of up to 200 people meeting a variety of needs, including summer camps, school science camps, leadership and challenge course programs, community events, corporate conferences, spiritual retreats, and weddings.
To book a stay at Camp Whittier, visit unitedbg.org/camp-whittier or call 805-962-776