Help us Reach our Goal of $60,000 and Survive the Road Closure!
The last year has been challenging, and if you have noticed that my hair has grayed more, it likely has something to do with the road! Initially we were instructed to keep mid-September through mid-November of 2011 open so that a culvert could be replaced about 3 miles from camp. We knew a culvert had been replaced several years ago that did not require a road closure and wondered what was different about this project. The work several years ago required special (and therefore expensive!) equipment that dug down into the culvert from the side of the hill. That method proved to be far more expensive and less environmentally friendly than what the Forest Service had planned. Like everyone these days, the Forest Service is suffering from budget cuts and cannot bring in the special equipment this time. However, the alternative of doing nothing could result in the last remaining road to camp washing out, so we understand the importance of the situation and grateful that they have made the project a priority. They're going with a more traditional approach which will mean excavating the road, replacing the culvert and rebuilding the road. With this approach, the proximity to the creek means there needs to be as little rain as possible so that debris does not end up muddying the fragile creekbeds which need to be clear for salmon. The original plan was to conduct the work from mid-September to mid-November 2011. We had planned for that and left those dates unscheduled as ordered (which had resulted in saying no to several groups.) However, as more research was done and data collected, it was determined that the fall would be too risky. Last March we were told that the work would be rescheduled for mid-July through mid-September 2011 to avoid fall rain....PANIC SET IN!!!! I had contracts for 60 nights of lodging with $80,000 in much-needed rental income scheduled. I am not exaggerating when I say, "It was hard to breathe."
The proposed schedule would have still accommodated for DCC summer camp program. We could have operated as normal and many would never have known anything was different.....however, there would have been a lot of other very disappointed people! You see, the day we pack up and say goodbye to our last campers in mid-July, a few hours later we welcome a whole group of fresh campers. American Missionary Fellowship has been operating "Camp of the Risen Son" for nearly 40 years. Then Fairview Mennonite Church conducts their summer camp, which has been running for nearly 4 decades as well. Next comes Highlands Community Church out of Renton, Washington who is going on 10 years followed by "Under the Stars" camp which is operated by the Assemblies of God. These groups are important partners both in providing camping opportunities to children and youth but also in terms of sustaining operations.
As you can imagine, the sudden change and now facing FOUR MONTHS of no income was a difficult pill to swallow. In addition to the burden of notifying organizations and families that they would not be able to conduct their events or program at DCC, we were nervous about the legal implications of breaking signed contracts. It did not feel right at all to run our camps, but to then say to our long-time partners with whom we have important relationships, "Sorry, you won't be able to run your camp this year." It seemed like a no-win situation. Feeling quite desperate, but recognizing the importance of the road repair, we pleaded with government officials to put the project off for one more year so that we would have adequate time to notify rental groups and not break our 2011 contracts. While we were still left with 2 unscheduled months in the fall, that was minor in comparison. (Thankfully, we were later able to fill at least a couple of the vacant weekends.) If you have shopped around for camps, Drift Creek's is likely more affordable than others. As a non-profit we do not earn extra revenue from our program and depend on facility usage to support camp operations through out the year. Since we're located in rain forest, summer is our primary opportunity. That said, we knew we had to get creative in order to survive this financial disaster. School schedules dictated when we could start, leaving a very small window for operations. By combining camps to create 3 programs instead of our normal 4, we were able to maintain a 4-night camp rather than just 2 or 3. It's not ideal, but we felt this solution was the best given the circumstances. We hope kids will still be satisfied with their camp experience. Please visit our Summer Camp page for details. With this schedule, we'll still be able to give AMF, who was very flexible with adjusting their schedule, two weeks of camp-use prior to the closure which will eliminate a chunk of lost revenue. It's disappointing to not be able to accommodate all of our partners in camping. We will still face an enormous financial challenge, but this will reduce losses by about 25%, down to roughly $60,000. If you have creative ideas for how DCC can make up for lost revenue, we would love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to call 541-992-2556 or email . We look forward to hearing from you and covet your prayers during this challenging time.
