Ann Arbor – Washtenaw Camp Placement (WCP) is excited to announce a transition in leadership along with plans to provide more children and youth from southeast Michigan with the opportunity to attend sleepaway summer camp in the future. Matthew Tarver-Wahlquist has been appointed as the new Executive Director to succeed Jane Talcott who is retiring after 13 years of excellent organizational stewardship. Additionally, Amanda Fales has joined Washtenaw Camp Placement as Program Coordinator. She will accelerate digital transformation across the organization to help increase the number of children served.
Tarver-Wahlquist recently relocated to Michigan with his family. Most recently, he was the Executive Director of Literacy Connects in Tucson, Arizona, prior to which he served as the Executive Director of The Arc San Francisco, a developmental disabilities services organization. Between the San Francisco Bay Area, Southern Arizona, and now Michigan, Tarver-Wahlquist brings 20 years of nonprofit experience to Washtenaw Camp Placement. Tarver-Wahlquist has a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Dartmouth College and a certificate in Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Leadership from the Harvard Business School.
Fales is a native of Southeast Michigan and is happy to be back working in her home state. Her most recent professional role was as the Corporate Angel Tree Coordinator for The Salvation Army in Dallas, Texas. Prior to that, Fales served at The Humane Society of Missouri and the St. Patrick Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Fales also brings 20 years of nonprofit experience to Washtenaw Camp Placement. She holds an Undergraduate Degree in Psychology from Wayne State University and a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Administration from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame.
“We are proud to be making strides to grow our organization. We have awarded more than 10,000 camperships since our start in 1962,” said Chelsea Trull, WCP Board President. “The investment that the board is making in Washtenaw Camp Placement will allow us to provide life-changing camp experiences to more children in the Southeastern Michigan community for years to come.”
Washtenaw Camp Placement has recently increased the number of served children to 166, rebounding from the challenges presented by the pandemic. The organization is looking forward to growing numbers further through increased community engagement and digitalization of operations to increase efficiency in an effort to provide camperships to even more children. A child who receives a campership from Washtenaw Camp Placement is provided fees to a one or two week YMCA partner camp. Supportive services can include clothing and gear, an orientation session with representatives of the participating camps, and/or transportation to and from camp. The goal is for camp to be a transformative life experience that enables young people to envision the life that they would like to create for themselves amidst a more level playing field.
About Washtenaw Camp Placement
Washtenaw Camp Placement’s mission is to connect economically disadvantaged youth to camp through community support. Washtenaw Camp Placement (WCP) believes that resident summer camp is a life changing experience that provides children an opportunity for growth in social, emotional, and physical wellbeing. The youth WCP places in camp would not have such an opportunity otherwise. WCP is happy to offer this enrichment possibility to students in Grades 5 and above next year through age 16 who live and/or go to school in Washtenaw County. Applications are screened to determine which applicants would most benefit from a resident camp experience. WCP is the only camping program that accepts referrals from teachers and counselors in all Washtenaw county school districts, as well as from social workers in human service agencies throughout the county.
Camping occurs in the summer, but there are many activities to be done year-round, including mailings, filing, gathering camper clothing and gear, compiling statistics, publicity, and fundraising. Contact WCP to discuss volunteer activities.
WCP is funded by individual donations, businesses, organizations, foundations, and our wonderful partner camps. The organization receives no government funds. The number of boys and girls sent to camp each year depends entirely on funds available. Donations are welcomed and accepted at washtenawcampplacement.org or by mail. We also accept and appreciate donations of goods and services. Our campers need new or very gently used: sleeping bags, duffle bags, bath towels and washcloths, single bed linens, socks (new), water bottles, flashlights, non-aerosol bug repellant, sunscreen, rain ponchos, and cloth laundry bags. Our office needs: copy paper, postage, and printer cartridges.
For more information or to send a donation, contact:
Washtenaw Camp Placement
Amanda Fales
734-968-3895
afales@washtenawcampplacement.org
3135 South State Street
Suite 350-D
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
