Camp Myrtlewood — A History of Giving

From its very beginning, Camp Myrtlewood has been dependent on the generosity of individuals for its existence and development. In 1936, Alma and Orlin Lett donated a portion of their homestead to create a permanent church camp. Over the years many church members donated their money and time to build the trails, the sleeping cabins, kitchen and bathrooms. In 1999, Forrest and Della Groff donated the Forest-Dell Retreat Center to provide a greater range of camp options. In 2005, work began to build a new kitchen facility for the dining room. Deterioration discovered in the process required that the project be expanded to a complete renovation of the dining room and fireplace room as well. Many individuals and several community foundations contributed to this necessary work. Every year a host of volunteers donate their labor to help with maintenance and repairs. In 2010, Camp Myrtlewood acquired 34 acres of land which borders the upstream boundary of Camp. This purchase protects the land and water from exploitation and prevents any clear cutting as was done on the northwest border of Camp. The farm also has about ¼ mile of creek frontage which is most important to the riparian/wildlife habitat and Camp’s watershed. Deciding to buy that land was a scary leap of faith, but we are grateful to have been led to jump!

New Project

We invite you to participate in our 2012-2013 fund-raising effort. If you haven’t yet thought about a donation to Camp Myrtlewood’s Christian Hospitality and eco-stewardship ministries, please consider one of the following options for giving. (You can leave us a message on PayPal indicating which fund you want your donation to go toward, or send us an e-mail at manager@campmyrtlewood.org with that request.)

            Option One: Make a donation to our General Operating Fund, knowing your contribution will keep us running throughout the year: keep the lights on, the bills and fees and health insurance paid.

            Option Two: Make a donation to the Capital Improvements Fund for priority projects such as: a new floor in the Dining Hall; upgrading cabins with new doors, windows, radiant heating; replacing leaky roofs.

            Option Three: Protect Camp Myrtlewood lands with a donation toward a Conservation Easement. Under both Federal and State Law, conservation easements are designed to protect the property’s natural, scenic or historic values forever. Once in place they run with the title of the property and may bind all future owners to their terms. Hopefully, Camp Myrtlewood will never be sold. However, if Camp were to ever transfer ownership the new owners would be bound to the terms of the conservation easement and would legally need to steward the land accordingly. We will establish a conservation easement with the help of a local land conservancy group, the Wild Rivers Coast Heritage Land Trust, which will be given the legal right to monitor and protect the property, through legal course of action if necessary, into the future. However, it takes money to set up a conservation easement. Camp Myrtlewood will need to raise funds for an endowment of approximately $30,000 in order to establish our conservation easement.

You may make a one-time donation or become a sustaining member of “Friends of Camp Myrtlewood,” a group of generous donors who contribute monthly via PayPal. Our goal is to expand this group to “100 Friends of Camp Myrtlewood.” Those of you who have experienced the wonderful hospitality provided by John and Margaret Jones over the past thirty (!) years may want to contribute in their honor, as they will be retiring on September 1, 2013. What better way to thank them for their years of service to Camp Myrtlewood!

Those of us who live and work here (the above pictured “Myrtle Nuts”) are passionate about the hospitality we provide and are grateful for the opportunity to care for this land and this sacred space. We and future generations of campers appreciate your generosity and support.

or

How does this work?

You can make a donation to Camp Myrtlewood using your credit card through PayPal, the largest financial intermediary on the internet. Clicking either the Join Friends of Camp Myrtlewood button or the Make a One-time Donation button will take you to the PayPal site, where information about your credit card is collected. If you would like to make a one-time donation, you do not need to register or open a PayPal account, however, if you want to Join Friends of Camp Myrtlewood and make a monthly donation, you will need to sign up for a PayPal account if you don't already have one. You pay no fee for using PayPal. PayPal does not share any information about your credit card with Camp Myrtlewood, and PayPal promises never to share your information with anyone else. When the transaction is complete, PayPal credits Camp Myrtlewood with the amount of your donation and automatically notifies us of your contribution. You automatically receive a receipt when your credit card is charged. PayPal charges Camp a small fee for this service.

Other ways to help

• If you would prefer any other arrangement, contact Richard Silva or call him at 503-380-3533.
• Include Camp Myrtlewood in your estate planning. Consult your financial advisor or contact Richard Silva at 503-380-3533.
• Buy a memorial brick. For $35, a brick will be inscribed with your message and laid in the Myrtlewood Tree paving. Contact Margaret Jones at 541-572-5307.
• Legalities

Thank you for your continued support.