Dear Beloved Camp Family:
For the past two years, the vision of Catholic Charities CYO and the vision of the leadership at CYO Camp has not been unified. The specific grievances of CCCYO, voiced by Dr. Glenn Motola the new Director of Programs and Services, are as follows:

.. They believe our commitment to diversity and building bridges of understanding between human beings is in fact detrimental to youth.
.. They believe that the staff at CYO Camp are not qualified to facilitate serendipities or trust-building activities and cause harm by attempting to do so.
.. They believe that Celebration is a harmful tradition and is fabricated by the staff to boost our egos.
.. Hugging is inappropriate, and should not be allowed in our programs.

Despite our outstanding reviews and evaluations from students, campers, teachers, principals, and parents over the years, CCCYO hired two outside professional "camping consultants" to review our program this fall. The report that was issued by these consultants reflected the same opinions as Dr. Motola, and CCCYO immediately issued Paul Raia and the current Caritas staff with an ultimatum. Either we would have to cease serendipities, celebration, night hikes, solo hikes, and our leadership program, and sign on to their new vision for the program, or our programs would be terminated.

After days of negotiations and an attempt to unify our visions for camp, it became apparent that the Caritas staff and CCCYO leadership could not find a reasonable compromise. The staff felt it would have been disrespectful to the founders of Caritas and dishonor the spirit of camp to continue the program under the same name without the same traditions and mission.

In response, Dr. Glenn Motola and CCCYO laid-off all thirty Caritas Creek employees this morning. As of 11:00, all of the CYO Camp staff have been terminated and Caritas Creek and CYO Summer Camp have been shut down.

CCCYO is planning on conducting a nation-wide search for a new director of CYO Camp, and this person will be charged with creating a program that does not resemble or reflect the beliefs and traditions of Caritas Creek or Summer Camp as we know it.

It is time to use your voice and speak out for camp. Below you will find a list of Catholic Charities Board Members and their contact information, I am urging you to express to the Board how camp has made a difference in your life. Tell your story, and how camp (specifically serendipities, connecting to a diverse community, etc.) has helped you grow. Help the people who have power over camp understand what we already know, that it is a unique, precious, and sacred space.

Spread the word; send out prayers; contact the media. Forward this to everyone that loves camp. Do whatever you can to help. After all that camp has given us, it is time for us to give back to camp.

We all know the spirit of Caritas and Summer Camp will live on in our hearts, and we have hopes for beginning again in a new place in the future.

I am sending love to you all on behalf of all of us at Camp, Paul and Mary and the rest.

May Camp live in our hearts forever,

Kristen Burlington

P.S. There will be a Prayer Service to honor the history of camp on January 27th. Stay tuned.


Contact Information:

Catholic Charities CYO
180 Howard Street, Suite 100
San Francisco, CA 94105
moreinfo@cccyo.org
Voice: 415.972.1200
Fax: 415.972.1201
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco
Attn: Archbishop George H. Niederauer, D.D, Ph.D
One Peter Yorke Way
San Francisco, CA 94109
415 614 5500
E-mail: info@sfarchdiocese.org

Board of Directors
Mr. Clint Reilly
465 California Street, 16th Floor SF, CA 94104

Mr. Nicholas Andrade
498 Hoffman, Apt. A SF, CA 94114

Mr. Steve G. Borden
200 Peacock Dr. San Rafael, CA 94901

Mr. Mark Cleary
445 Bush Street, 9th Floor SF, CA 94104

Rev. Thomas Daly
One Peter Yorke Way SF, CA 94109

Ms. Deborah Dasovich
25 Vista Tiburon Dr. Tiburon, CA 94920

Rev. Eduardo Dura
850 Judah Street SF, CA 94122

Mr. Jeffrey Fenton
19 Northridge Ln. Lafayette, CA 94509

Mr. Jack Fitzpatrick
206 Granville Way SF, CA 94127

Rev. Charles Gagan, SJ
650 Parker Ave., SF, CA 94116

Ms. Alison Morey Garrett
100 Del Casa Dr., Mill Valley, Ca 94941

Mr. Bernard P. Hagan, Sr.
1960 Broadway, SF, CA, 94109

Mrs. Cecilia Herbert
2636 Vallejo St., SF, CA, 94123

Mr. Doug Hickey
1 Lombard Suite 300, SF, CA 94111

Mr. Leo McCarthy
243 Kearny St., SF, CA 94108

Mr. Robert McLalan
400 S. El Camino Real, Ste 900, San Mateo, CA 94402

Ms. Nanette Lee Miller
655 Montgomery St. Suite 1220, SF, CA 94111

Mr. Christopher Needham
1340 Lombard St. 302, SF, CA, 94111

Ms. Kathryn Parish-Reese
156 Melissa Circle, Daly City, CA 94014

Mr. Tim Rea
12 Alverno Court, Redwood City, CA 94061

Mr. William T. Ring
185 Georgia Lane, Portola Valley, CA, 94028

Mr. Robert Rybicki
335 Buena Vista East, Apt. 108 SF, CA 94117

Mrs. Rita Semel
2190 Washington ..907, SF, CA, 94109

Mr. Timothy Alan Simon
State Capital Building, Sacramento, CA 95814

Mrs. Maureen Sullivan
65 Montclair Terrace, SF, CA 94109

Mr. Brian Swift
38 Meadowhill Dr. Tiburon, CA, 94920

Mr. George Wesolek
One Peter Yorke Way, SF, CA 94109

Ms. Jacqueline Woodford
101 Miramar Ave. SF, CA 94112