Bournelyf gets Xmas in July present

Posted by Press Release on July 31, 2019

Bournelyf Special Camp, a non-profit in West Chester whose mission is to serve individuals with special needs, was recently gifted a $6,000 donation from the Western Delaware Valley Lions Club.

With just a day to spare, Bournelyf Special Camp in West Chester was able to celebrate Christmas in July on the last day of the month. That was when Santa’s summer Christmas gift arrived in the form of a $6,000 donation to help support the West Chester non-profit’s mission of service to those with special needs.

And in this moment of gift-giving, the role of Santa was played by the Western Delaware Valley Lions Club. Lions Club International is the world’s largest service club organization, and the Western Delaware Valley Club, which covers Glen Mills, Thornton and West Chester, is one of the organization’s 46,000 chapters. Its mission routinely involves helping other non-profit organizations achieve theirs.

“Bournelyf is indebted to the Western Delaware Valley Lions Club for its support of our mission,” said Camp Bournelyf executive director Anne Catlin in a press release. “Thanks to their generosity, we can continue to offer life-changing and life-affirming experiences to our campers.”

Since its founding in 1980, Camp Bournelyf has offered a summer camp experience and year-round activities for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its 20-acre campus sits on the grounds of the Church of the Loving Shepherd on South New Street in West Chester, where specialized programs help campers build confidence, improve social, physical and communication skills, and see themselves as important members of both the Bournelyf community and society as a whole.

Bournelyf also organizes group travel experiences throughout the country, enabling its campers to discover independence – and the world – through the shared experience of traveling with peers.

“This gift from the Lion’s Club will have a tremendous and direct impact on so many of our campers,” said Catlin. “Day in and day out our campers bring joy to the world. It’s a mission we all can get behind.”

For more information on Bournelyf Special Camp, visit bscwc.org.