Isaiah and Jorge had a great time at the Children’s Museum of Virginia in Portsmouth with members of Chartway’s We Promise Foundation and Camp Horizon staff.
— Back row, from left: Jen Saunders, director, We Promise Foundation Board; Beth K. O’Toole, former vice chair, We Promise Foundation; Karen Lane, executive director, We Promise Foundation; Brandi Calica, events manager, We Promise Foundation.
— Front row, from left: Ferhat Kakouche, assistant director, Camp Horizon; Isaiah, 15, who lives at St. Mary’s Home and has been attending Camp Horizon for about a decade; Ilse Turner, Camp Horizon staff; Michael Mingo-Dabney, Camp Horizon staff; Kenneth Freeman, Camp Horizon staff; Jorge,15, who lives at St. Mary’s Home.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NORFOLK, Va. (Sept. 1, 2015) — Jorge, a teen who lives at St. Mary’s Home, loves attending Camp Horizon, where he can rap and sing with friends, among many other activities. Thanks to the generosity of the We Promise Foundation, the charitable arm of Chartway Federal Credit Union, Jorge and 15 other children and young adults from St. Mary’s were able to attend Camp Horizon, a program of The Up Center, this summer.
Chartway’s We Promise Foundation continued its five-year support of St. Mary’s with a $25,000 gift, its largest thus far, to send children and young adults with severe disabilities to camp. Among the children and teens from St. Mary’s who went to Camp Horizon with Jorge was Isaiah, who has attended for more than 10 years.
Jorge, Isaiah and friends went on field trips and participated in therapeutic recreation and education programs, including working on art projects, listening to music and playing sports. Jorge’s favorite thing about camp was being able to perform for his buddies. He even choreographed performances for the other campers, winning the award of Camp Choreographer, just one of the many fun awards the kids and teens from St. Mary’s have achieved at camp. He also complimented the food and enjoyed being free to express himself. “If you want to rap or tap, you can do that,” Jorge said.
We Promise Foundation Chairman John Blum said Chartway’s foundation once again was honored to provide full financial funding to support children and young adults who live at St. Mary’s. “Our employees are deeply dedicated to supporting and strengthening our communities,” said Blum. “Having been a proud supporter for so many years, we have been changed and uplifted to see the ways this summer program allows children and young adults to make meaningful connections and experience quality, spirit-lifting activities designed to help each person reach his or her fullest potential.”
Since 2011, Chartway’s We Promise Foundation has donated $97,400 to provide children and young adults at St. Mary’s the opportunity to attend Camp Horizon.
About the We Promise Foundation: As the charitable arm of Chartway FCU and its divisions of HeritageWest and SouthWest Community, the We Promise Foundation is dedicated to making dreams come true for children battling degenerative, life-threatening, debilitating or chronic illnesses or those facing tremendous hardship. Since 1999, the credit union and its We Promise Foundation have raised $7 million to bring smiles to the faces of more than 3,000 children.
About the Chartway Federal Family of Credit Unions: Chartway FCU, a not-for-profit financial institution, has been serving members and families since 1959. Headquartered in Virginia Beach, Va., the $2 billion credit union serves nearly 200,000 members. HeritageWest Credit Union and SouthWest Community Credit Union joined the Chartway family of credit unions in 2010.