Dear Friends of the Woods,
As I write this, most of you are sheltering in place. I am also at home working, and not at the Woods. My prayers are with you and your loved ones during this challenging time in all of our lives.
As you can imagine, the Covid-19 virus has had a huge impact on Westminster Woods. Just three weeks ago, we welcomed 175 6th grade students, from Dewey School in Fair Oaks, Bel Aire Park School in Napa, and Brandeis School in San Francisco, taking advantage of the incredible outdoor education and character development programs that we offer to schools. That all changed on March 20th, when we had to close the camp. We had over 2,500 more students scheduled to stay at the Woods this spring with their schools, but now those excited, eager kids will miss out on the highlight of their school year. We also had a number of churches and other guest groups that were anticipating their weekend retreats this spring, all of which have had to be cancelled or postponed.
With no schools or guest groups visiting this spring, Westminster Woods will not be receiving any income for the foreseeable future. Our staff of 45 people has had to be furloughed until we can start generating revenue. In the short term, we have reached out to the Presbyterian Synod of the Pacific about a loan, and we have also applied for a Small Business Administration non-profit loan. The plan is to use this borrowed money to rehire some of our staff and get us through the early summer, when we anticipate the revenue to start coming back in more steadily.
At this point, we are still planning on holding our annual Summer Camp, which hundreds of kids and teens anticipate every year, and we encourage parents to join the many others who have registered their campers through our website. We will make a final decision about Summer Camp during May, once we have a better understanding of how long the Covid-19 virus will be a major concern. The safety and well-being of our campers is always our first priority.
In 2021, Westminster Woods will celebrate its 75th year as a camp. Westminster Woods has provided a place to connect with God and nature for generations. It has been a place to retreat from the routine of life and experience transformation. The camp started as a place for adults, children and teenagers to grow in their faith, have an opportunity to connect with nature, make new friends, and have life-long relationships with people they meet at camp.
During our almost 75 years as a camp, we have gone through some very good times and some extremely challenging ones. When I look back historically over those 75 years, the Woods and the world have seen incredible change.
Some years ago, one of the members of my church told me she had first come to Westminster Woods in 1947 as a young girl. The camp had been opened just one year earlier and there were no buildings on the property. Her church came to the Woods on a retreat and she camped with her family on the big green field in the center of camp and prepared their own meals. She would jokingly say, “Westminster Woods was such a beautiful place, until they started constructing all of those buildings.” This woman is in her 90’s now, and so often has commented to me that she is so grateful that the Woods was such a foundational part of her life.
Realizing that she had been at the Woods from its very early years helped me to better understand the impact this camp has had on so many lives. She and a multitude of others have continued to retreat to the Woods throughout their lives. For so many of us, this is our sanctuary, and every time we cross the bridge over Dutch Bill Creek we are welcomed back home.
In the last few weeks, we have phoned many of you, and you have responded with some very generous donations. Your commitment to the Woods is evident, not only in the checks you have written but in the notes that have come with them. To date, we have received around $20,000, and we – our staff and board – could not be more thankful.
For those of you who have not yet taken the opportunity to make a contribution, we could use it now more than ever. You can mail a check to Westminster Woods or make an online donation here on our website. Either way, know that your gift will aid us in continuing the legacy of the Woods.
Take care, stay healthy, and come stay with us (as soon as possible),
Chris Rhodes
Executive Director