About Camp Quality

Camp Quality is a volunteer driven, non-profit, 501 (C) (3) organization that provides free camping experiences and year-round support programs for children with cancer, and their families.  Camp Quality New Jersey's programs are focused to care for the emotional needs of children with cancer and their families.  As they face the “challenging days” and celebrate the good ones, a support network of peers provides tremendous strength and hope.

Camp Quality New Jersey is a unique oncology camping program:

It is volunteer-run, and community funded.

Each child is paired with a companion during camp.

Camp is held for one-week during the summer, with additional support programs continuing throughout the year such as reunions and family outings.

Camp Quality New Jersey has built a reputation with our personalized care.  Each camper is paired with an adult companion (18 years or older).  A companion spends the entire week by his/her camper’s side.   The companion is the camper’s friend, cheerleader, and mentor even beyond camp.  Through year-round events such as holiday parties and family picnics, campers, companions and families come together to share and support one another.

The Camp Quality USA National Board of Directors and National Office oversee the workings of all camp locations, camp directors, and 2,000 volunteers nationwide.  This national structure ensures a consistent brand and quality experience from camp to camp with standardized camp manuals, volunteer training materials, standardized bookkeeping requirements, standardized receipting and reporting of all donations and expenses, and general program guidelines.  The national office further supports local programs by providing various administrative services.

As Camp Quality continues to grow in our outreach, we will laugh, love, and lift-up as many children as possible.   With a united vision, Camp Quality will continue to provide our campers with Courage to fight their disease and Hope for a successful recovery.  

Vision, Mission and Goals

Our vision is that all children with cancer and their families find joy and hope through shared experiences and an ongoing support system.

Our mission is to establish and sustain community-based camping and ongoing support programs for children with cancer and their families. 

These free programs will provide opportunities for fun and innovative experiences; offer settings in which trained and caring volunteers are present as friends and confidants; and enhance widespread networks of public support, sensitivity and understanding.

Our Goals
To allow children with cancer to be children again

To create stress-free environments that offer exciting activities, foster new friendships, and help give children courage, motivation, and emotional strength

To give families of children with cancer a much needed rest, knowing that the highest quality program has been selected to keep their child happy, a companion has been assigned to ensure their safety, and, most importantly, the finest medical supervision has been provided at every camp.

To give the child hope for the future in that the camping experience will be such fun, they will look forward to and anticipate their next camp, and that the memories from their special week will sustain them in the weeks, months and years ahead as they continue their medical treatment.

History
Camp Quality was founded in Sydney, Australia in 1983 by Vera Entwistle after she discovered that a camping program for children with cancer did not yet exist in Australia. Entwistle came up with the name Camp Quality after a doctor told her “No one can do anything about the quantity of one’s life, but all of us can do something about the quality.”

Today there are Camp Quality locations in 19 countries. In 2003, Camp Quality USA provided 600 cancer diagnosed children with individual overnight camping experiences. In 2001, Optimist International recognized Camp Quality USA as an endorsed organization through their Optimist International Childhood Cancer Campaign.

Camp Quality New Jersey

Driven by Optimist International's Childhood Cancer Campaign, Camp Quality New Jersey was established in 2003 by a group of volunteers from the Sunrise Optimist Club of Freehold, NJ. Optimist clubs throughout the State of New Jersey have joined together as a major financial sponsor of Camp Quality New Jersey.While the CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, NJ is our flagship hospital and  provides us with excellent support, we have relationships with many other medical institutions in New Jersey.The next annual camp will be held June 23 - June 28, 2007 in Blairstown, NJ. The drop-off and pickup location will be at CentraState Medical Center in Freehold