2013 Directors: Cindy Anders, Jolynne Reynolds, Dmitrii Zavorotny
"Camp is just as much for the parents as it is for the kids. It is so nice to be with people who get it and understand both the challenges and blessings that families formed through adoption have.”
“Attending camp is a very important family tradition. It sends the message to our adopted daughter that her culture is very important. It gives her a time to connect with other kids adopted from her country. It provided one of the only opportunities in her life where she could be comfortable being herself.”
“The kids love the time with other kids like them as well as the cultural exposure. They develop and nurture these friendships throughout the year. We also value the resources and connections we make as parents in this environment.”
“My son told us he felt like he "belonged" at camp and made some really good friends. Camp prompted some great questions and discussions within our family. It was a great bonding time for our family. My bio son also loved camp and received a better understanding of adoption and his brother's birth region.”
FOUR DAYS A SUMMER...IMPACT FOR LIFE!
Russian/Eastern European/Central Asian Heritage Camp (REECA HC) is one of the few camps of its kind in the country specifically designed for families with children adopted from Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. REECA HC is one of 11 camps facilitated by the highly respected Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families (HCAF), a non-profit organization that has conducted heritage camps for adoptive families for over 20 years.
Our acronym is a mouthful – REECA HC, but our campers come from a variety of countries; Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Poland, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and more.
REECA HC is a camp for the entire family. Parents, adopted REECA children, non-adopted siblings, siblings adopted from other cultures and extended family members are invited to come and learn about their adopted family heritage and culture.
We want to assure that everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend!
Why is REECA Heritage Camp So Important?
REECA Heritage Camp is a place to explore your child's cultural identity while also learning from so many other families "just like yours."
We realize that as your children grow, they may be dealing with issues faced by any adopted child, especially when they are born in another country and/or culture that is different from their parents. For a few days at our camp, they are with a sea of families who are like theirs, and with children who came from the same part of the world as they did. Though we enthusiastically celebrate and strive to highlight the different birth countries of our campers, we also recognize adoption as a culture of its own. The similarities of being internationally adopted children from that same place in the world is what really bonds the children and their families so immediately at our camp.
Two years ago, we were honored to have at camp a delegation from the Ukraine State Department for Adoption and Protection of the Rights of the Child to speak with parents and observe camp activities. They were very impressed by what we are doing at camp, and by our adoptive families. The head of the delegation was moved to tears when she told us how much it meant to her that our children at camp were staying connected to their culture.
What happens at REECA Heritage Camp?
REECA is a culturally and educationally rich heritage camp for all members of the family to enjoy. Every year participants eat food from the region, learn traditional folk dances, and learn to speak common Russian phrases. Different parts of the vast REECA region are highlighted each year and workshops are offered for each age level, children, teens, and parents- based upon each group’s needs and interests.
REECA Heritage Camp Theme 2013: Festivals and Holidays
This year REECA will connect our children with their birth countries with our 2013 camp theme “Festivals and Holidays"! Children, teens, and parents will enjoy a full year of holidays from over a dozen countries all in one weekend. Some of these may be familiar but other traditions may be those you will experience for the first time.
Have you heard the stories and learned the winter holiday traditions of Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden? Do you know about the Maslenitsa or Pancake Week ? YUM! How about Cosmonauts Day, or Name Day?
Come to camp and have fun experiencing all these celebrations and more!
We hope to see you at camp in July. For further information, please contact us, or visit our REECA Heritage Camp Facebook page.
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