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Providing kids with educational & recreational experiences that:
At Camp Blodgett, our goal is to provide a fun, enriching summer camp experience accessible to all kids in Kent & Ottawa Counties. Summer camp fees are based on a child's family size and income. In addition, Camp Blodgett offers free school year programs. Camp Blodgett is a proud Heart of West Michigan United Way partner agency. 
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Our History
Camp Blodgett began in 1921 when D.A. Blodgett Home for Children, an organization dedicated to the care of orphaned children, purchased a tract of land on the shores of Lake Michigan to provide a fresh air camping experience for the orphans during the summer months. A concerned group of women associated with D.A. Blodgett Home, called the Babies' Welfare Guild, took the children camping and worked hard to maintain the camp.
In 1939, the direction of Camp Blodgett was taken over by the United Fund (today’s United Way). Then in 1954, Camp Blodgett became an independent entity and began serving youth from the city of Grand Rapids and throughout Kent County. In 2001, Camp Blodgett expanded its program offerings to include year-round programming, and in 2012, launched an experiential Academy program, which runs alongside camp for 4 weeks each summer.
Today, Camp Blodgett remains a Partner Agency of the Heart of West Michigan United Way and has four primary programs that carry the spirit and values of Camp Blodgett throughout the year. Each year at Summer Camp we serve over 500 campers, of which 40 are STEM Academy campers. During the school year, we maintain contact with our summer campers and serve as many as 200 youth in our school year programs: Young Leaders, STEM Squad and Day Camps.
In 1939, the direction of Camp Blodgett was taken over by the United Fund (today’s United Way). Then in 1954, Camp Blodgett became an independent entity and began serving youth from the city of Grand Rapids and throughout Kent County. In 2001, Camp Blodgett expanded its program offerings to include year-round programming, and in 2012, launched an experiential Academy program, which runs alongside camp for 4 weeks each summer.
Today, Camp Blodgett remains a Partner Agency of the Heart of West Michigan United Way and has four primary programs that carry the spirit and values of Camp Blodgett throughout the year. Each year at Summer Camp we serve over 500 campers, of which 40 are STEM Academy campers. During the school year, we maintain contact with our summer campers and serve as many as 200 youth in our school year programs: Young Leaders, STEM Squad and Day Camps.
Staff
Lucy Dyer Joswick
Executive Director |
Rick Meyering
Director of Operations |
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Andrea Robinson
Community Development Director |
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Board of Directors
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Quincy Williams, President | Grand Valley State University
Robert Staley, Vice President | Mercantile Bank Mel Trombley, Secretary| Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce Drew Wessell, Treasurer | Kids Food Basket Tania Bermejo, Member-at-Large | Spectrum Health Steve Balk | Hansen/Balk Steel Treating Company Tiffany Balk | Blueberry Haven, Babies' Welfare Guild Deb Battjes | Babies' Welfare Guild Latoya Booker | Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative Asante Cain | City of Grand Rapids Steve Cook | Herman Miller Tim Dudley | Rhoades McKee Barbara Gordon | Community Member Neil Jansen | Mika Meyers Jim Peterson | Cherry Street Capital Eric Post | Varnum Law Linda Ritch | Community Member Norman Young | Head Start |
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