Host a 2024 CRS Camper!

As we look forward to welcoming alumni to Camp this weekend, our excitement only grows for the summer ahead. Thinking about the campers who will soon set up their beds on Tent Hill, learn there is really no limit to how many mosquitoes can bite you, and build a lifelong community, we are also thinking about how to welcome them to a new place with care.

Since COVID-19, we had to pause our tradition of campers staying with host families in the New York City area. But this year, we are excited to announce we are reinstating homestays! Campers will arrive in New York a day or before they head to CRS, giving them plenty of time to sleep off jet lag, sightsee, and build relationships with other campers and CRS community members before the session begins. As many alumni know, homestays are integral to the CRS experience. Getting a few days to have fun, relax, and get to know fellow campers sets the tone for the coming session and jumpstarts community building. 

Margaret Walenga, the parent of a 2017 camper, remembers the campers their family hosted fondly:

“Our family was fortunate to have the opportunity to host campers, pre- and post-camp, from China, Egypt, Zambia, Japan, and Texas. We got to know these young people and got to learn about their cultures—an experience that left our entire family wanting more and feeling so grateful. To this day, I still receive emails from the campers who stayed with us.” 

We are looking for families in the New York regional area to offer campers a home before the Camp seasons begin. For Session 1, campers will arrive in New York on or after June 25 and take the bus to Camp on June 27. Session 2 campers arrive July 30 and head to CRS on August 1. If you are interested in hosting campers or conducting home visits of prospective host families, please fill out this form. If you have any questions, contact Katie Madsen at kmadsen@lajf.org.