COVID-19 UPDATE
June 2nd Update
Last week, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf released guidelines for Pennsylvania camps prohibiting all overnight Summer Camps from operating in the “yellow-phase” (the second phase in a 3 phase process / Red-Yellow-Green). Monroe County (Mt. Gilead Camp’s location) is currently in the yellow-phase, with no certainty when (or if) we will move to “green” this summer as we have just recently entered yellow-phase ourselves. The one exception to this new restriction are day camp programs, which are being classified similarly to child care services. Mt. Gilead does not operate a day camp, so we do not qualify for this exemption. Governor Wolf also confirmed PA camps follow new CDC guidelines for nation-wide summer programs if they do progress from “yellow” to “green” at any point this summer. These guidelines include spaced seating or lines of at least 6 feet apart for all campers (or physical barriers when not possible to distance), no communal dining (only small groups), cloth face coverings for all staff and all campers … just to name a few limitations.
In light of the recent camp restrictions here in Pennsylvania, and with the need for our staff and families to plan out their summers, our Board of Directors voted to make the heart-wrenching decision to cancel the remaining scheduled weeks this summer (Weeks 3 – 6 | July 5 – August 1).
As mentioned in the previous Weeks 1 & 2 video announcement from Adam and Rachel (available below), this second decision (also) did not come lightly. This decision will impact our summer campers and their families, our summer staff, and our financial outlook as a non-profit ministry. Ultimately, we knew that the time was right, and God had closed the door for Mt. Gilead Camp this summer.
Thank you for your patience as we waited for guidance from our local government here in Pennsylvania. If you were scheduled for Weeks 3 – 6, know that your enrollment has already been moved to Summer 2021 automatically.
We are already working on our online summer initiative “Mt. Gilead @ Home”. This will offer weekly content for our campers as well as resources for parents from all of our staff at Mt. Gilead Camp – all summer long. Funny skits, parodies, counselor interviews, bible studies, campfire messages, and at home contests for campers will start in June. We will also be giving away teeshirts, camp store credit, a free week of horsemanship, and even a free week of camp in 2021 for campers who participate online (we will draw winners in August). Make sure you and your camper are both signed up for our Mt. Gilead @ Home email alerts here.
We love you all, we’re going to miss you, and we can’t wait to see you at Mt. Gilead Camp next summer!
In Christ,
– The Summer Staff At Mt. Gilead Camp
What Happens If My Week Is Canceled?
If your summer camp weeks are canceled due to COVID-19, we will automatically roll all pre-made deposits/payments to Summer 2021 at no charge in order to help parents avoid credit card processing fees for any refunds made by our staff. This will not only hold your spot for Summer 2021, lock families in at 2020 pricing, but save all parents the time and effort to register again next summer. No new medical forms or deposits will be required. Parents can change/switch weeks in 2021 at any time. If a camper decides in 2021 not to attend summer camp at any point, we will refund the “rolled” deposit/payments at that time.
Other Options If Your 2020 Summer Camp Week Was Canceled:
Many of our families have had long relationships with Mt. Gilead and understand the implications that a canceled camp season will have on our non-profit organization. Other than keeping your automatically rolled deposit/payment to 2021 (which holds your spot, and does not require a new registration or an updated medical form next year) you have 3 other options …
1. Roll your balance to another future event at Mt. Gilead (i.e A Parent/Daughter Weekend) at no charge.
2. Forfeit your automatically reserved spot for the 2021 Summer Camp and request a refund to your credit card minus the $7 admin/processing fee.
3. Make a tax-deductible donation with your summer deposit/payment to our non-profit ministry to help cover the losses we are incurring in 2020, we will still hold your spot for 2021 if you would like. We will send you a tax-deductible receipt for your donation.
Procedure For Canceling A Registration For 2020 (Or Your Rolled 2021 Registration).
To handle registration cancelations, we are using a support ticket system. Please do NOT email us at camp@mtgileadcamp.org. A form is located on our website (linked below), you may fill out the form any time and select the options available. A Mt. Gilead staff member will handle your request and you will receive a confirmation email once everything is completed.
*REMEMBER* You do not need to contact us if you plan to attend summer camp in 2021. If your week is canceled in 2020, your registration will be automatically rolled to 2021 on the same week. You may switch weeks or cancel Summer 2021 at any time between now and June 2021. If you are unsure of your schedule for 2021, we recommend keeping your registration active until you know as our camp fills to capacity every spring.
To make a change or to cancel your registration, please submit a support ticket for our staff here: https://www.mtgileadcamp.org/support/
May 17th Video From Adam & Rachel Todd (Canceling Weeks 1 & 2)
Thank You
Thank you for choosing Mt. Gilead Camp this year and thank you for understanding the difficulty in this situation. Our prayers are with your family during this difficult time, and we ask for your prayers as well for both our staff and the ministry of Mt. Gilead as we navigate this uncertain situation.