Operation Purple Camp has become a touchstone for many military kids dealing with deployment and injured service member parents.
Unfortunately, each summer as donors dwindle, the camps are held in fewer locations around the nation. The summer of 2018 is no different.
This year just 12 Operation Purple camps will operate in 11 states, down considerably from the program’s early years when local camps clamored to host the program.
It’s the same crunch that non-profit military and veteran organizations have been feeling across the nation. Last year the Washington Post reported that “the needs of the veteran population are increasing at the same time that the base of support for veteran services is shrinking. And it’s because of those trends that veteran nonprofits are evolving in ways that open them up to criticism.”
The Post’s special report, “Charting the Sea of Goodwill” showed how corporate, philanthropic and individual donations to the veteran and military-related nonprofits were overall on the decline.
The staff at the National Military Family Association is careful to offer spots at Operation Purple Camp to children of military members who have recently, or are currently, deployed, and to children with injured parents. They are also careful to spread the love and not give repeat visits to the same campers every summer.
Each of my oldest children were granted a spot in different years during my husband’s deployments and the week long camp proved crucial in lifting their spirits and helping them to cope with the distance.
If you live close enough to a camp to attend, I highly recommend you apply.
And if your children have aged out or are no longer in need of the camp’s services, I highly recommend you donate to the NMFA to help fund the camps. Our military children need the support of their entire village. Let’s make sure they all have what they need.
Find locations and registration info for Operation Purple Camp at this link:
