Unicamp Needs Your Help

Dear UU congregation members and friends,

Have you ever spent a summer day at Unicamp? If you have, you may remember the expanse of trees and singing around the campfire. 

You may have heard that we suffered severe damage from the ice-storm in early April that took down our hydro and left hundreds of downed and damaged trees. The sight was sobering to behold. The storm left Unicamp unrecognizable; the paths were impassable and the fire circle had all but disappeared. The pine forest was all but gone.

I am writing to you on behalf of Unicamp, our UU Camp and Retreat Center, located north of Shelburne Ontario. Your congregation is one of the 16 Members of Unicamp, and Unicamp belongs to its Members.

Unicamp faces severe financial challenges for 2025 and 2026. While insurance will cover the replacement of our hydro line into Camp, we have at least $25,000 in uninsured damages, costs and losses. Our sincere gratitude to the many volunteers who literally moved mountains of tree debris in an inspiring demonstration of community spirit and support!

We recently experienced another huge set-back in receiving no funding from the Canada Summer Jobs grant that has been supporting the hiring of youth and young adult staff to run our programs for many years, including the children and youth programs that have resulted in generations of young people strengthening their connections to our UU values and faith. Our previous grant funding was $61,000. This leaves an immediate budget shortfall of $86,000. Our gratitude to those who have already made a contribution and helped us to raise approximately $17,000 toward this shortfall. Please consider making a donation to Unicamp HERE.

There will be reductions in staffing and budget lines to reduce this shortfall to the degree possible mid-year, but we will need significant financial support to ensure the viability of Unicamp in 2025 and 2026.

There will be diligent strategic planning and re-visioning for how Unicamp can adapt to be financially sustainable into the future, and still fulfill our charitable purposes of advancing the UU faith. These conversations with Members and friends will begin at camp this summer and continue in the fall of next year. We invite you to participate and support us in discerning our path forward.

Some of you may have experienced Unicamp already? Unicamp offers many gifts: the beautiful unique ecosystem of this 50-acre property that we steward; the opportunities for children and youth to grow in UU values in their summer camps; the building of inter-congregational connections; opportunities for newcomers to learn about UU spirituality; and for people of all ages to grow and nourish our spirits through programs and a sense of community. It is the only UU Camp in Canada.

We have faith that we can rise to meet this challenge together, but Unicamp needs your help now. You can also help by coming to visit Unicamp, volunteering (at camp or through our many working groups including the Financial Working Group) and participating in the visioning and planning work to come.

In faith,

Dianne Heise
Chair, Unicamp Board of Directors
Grand River Unitarian Congregation, Kitchener
On behalf of the Unicamp Board of Directors and Staff