Help a Camper Thrive with a Camp Scholarship

At Carolina Creek, we believe every child deserves a chance to THRIVE.

But for thousands of kids, getting to camp isn’t just about signing up—it’s about overcoming difficult barriers. That’s why we created the Thrive Scholarship Fund—to make camp accessible for under-resourced kids and to help them experience the life-changing love of Jesus.

Thrive is more than a scholarship program. It’s a partnership between Carolina Creek and ministries, churches, organizations, and parents across the Greater Houston area who serve kids walking through some of life’s hardest challenges.

Together, we’re reaching:

• Kids in foster care
• Kids who have experienced domestic violence
• Kids whose families are experiencing homelessness
• Kids whose parents are or have been incarcerated
• Kids in urban, multicultural communities
• Kids in underserved rural communities
• Kids living with physical, cognitive, emotional, or behavioral disabilities
• Kids who are grieving a parent or walking through a parent’s cancer journey
• Kids whose families face financial hardship due to illness or unemployment
• Kids impacted by natural disasters

Each of our partners helps prepare their kids for camp and supports them afterward, because we know camp isn’t just a fun week in the summer. It’s a spark of hope. A chance to belong. A time to experience and know the love of Jesus in a powerful, personal way.

And that’s exactly what 2,409 campers experienced at Carolina Creek in Summer 2024 through the Thrive Scholarship Fund.

• 513 individual scholarship awards totaling $338,644
• 26 ministry groups supported with $127,280 in scholarships
• 2,409 Thrive recipients supported by $465,924 in donations
• Average scholarship: $193 per camper

Most Thrive scholarships cover part of the cost, with families contributing between 30-50%.

How You Can Help

For just $193, you can help send a child to camp—and with our Double Impact Match, every dollar you give will be matched, making your generosity go twice as far.

For a donor who wants to reach as many of these kids as possible, that means with the matching donation:

• $193 helps 2 campers
• $386 helps 4 campers
• $965 helps 10 campers
• $1,930 helps 20 campers
• $3,860 helps 40 campers

And those numbers aren’t just statistics. They’re real kids—kids who have experienced trauma, lost parents, or live in foster care.

As one ministry partner reflected on their experience at Carolina Creek:

“Most of our kids have never been able to go to Disney World, but Carolina Creek is the next best thing—actually better—because of the staff who truly have a heart for our kids.” – Kim Nash, Champions Kids Camp

Or the youth from Houston LEAD, who had never known the freedom and joy of a safe outdoor experience:

“My kids have never experienced the freedom of running around without concern for their safety or the heart-pounding joy of stepping off that zipline platform for the first time. Carolina Creek makes that possible.” – Sarah Cleary, Houston LEAD

For over 20 years, Carolina Creek has been dedicated to supporting families who would otherwise be unable to send their children to camp. We welcome campers from every background, culture, and denomination—including those with no church affiliation—because our goal is to reflect the richness of the Body of Christ.

To serve these campers well, we listen to our partners, prepare our facility, equip our staff, and soften our hearts. It’s our calling—and we invite you to be part of it.

Would you prayerfully consider giving to the Thrive Scholarship Fund?

We’ve fully exhausted past gifts and need to raise $400,000 to meet the growing need for this summer.

And thanks to a generous donor, every dollar will be matched—up to $200,000.

Your gift won’t just send kids to camp. It will help them THRIVE—in joy, in confidence, and in Christ.

Thank you for helping us create a place where every child can belong, be loved, and be transformed.