Cancer Resource Spotlight: Kesem

Cancer Information

Nov 22

Briefly share about Kesem and its mission?

Kesem is the leading national nonprofit that supports children affected by a parent’s cancer. Its flagship program, Camp Kesem, is a free week-long, sleep-away summer camp offered across the country by more than 5,300 college student volunteers. All of Kesem's programs and services are available to student volunteers and campers of all backgrounds.

What is a fun fact about your organization?

The name Kesem in Hebrew means “Magic”! As an organization we strive to bring this meaning to life and create the Kesem Magic for all.

Can you talk more about the Summer Camps you provide and their importance?

Every summer, we provide a free, week-long sleepaway camp for children impacted by a parent’s cancer. We want Kesem to be an opportunity for campers to have fun and just be kids again. What makes Kesem so great is that we strive to create a community and support system for children who are going through similar experiences through the joy of camp. It’s important that campers know that they’re not alone in their parent’s or guardian’s cancer.

Can you briefly describe the changes you see in a child from day one of camp and the end of camp?

At the start of camp we have a lot of kids who were reluctant to attend camp at all, but more often than not, the campers end up with a completely different outlook on camp. Campers have an amazing experience and a lot of fun with all of the camp activities, but most importantly, campers create lifelong friendships at camp.

What was one good thing that came out of the past year and the pandemic? How have operations changed since Covid?

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the past two years were held virtually through a program we called Kesem at Home. We learned that, despite not being physically together, we could still form meaningful connections and let the kids have fun. Covid was a time where a lot of people felt more alone than ever, and this can often be compounded for kids facing a parent’s cancer - we felt that still holding a program for our campers was more important than ever.

We also shifted our focus to have more support throughout the year by hosting monthly Virtual Cabin Chats with our campers. A Virtual Cabin Chat is where counselors and campers will meet to talk about their day, play games, and get to know each other more.

Any new things for Camp Kesem on the horizon?

We are looking forward to returning to in-person events and programming this next year such as our Friends and Family Day, where we get to see our existing camper families and friends of Kesem during the fall and spring to connect throughout the year. We are also continuing our virtual engagement opportunities, like our monthly Virtual Cabin Chat. Lastly, we can’t wait to get back to our week-long summer camp in 2022 to bring all of our families (and new families!) back to Kesem.

Do you have an organization in mind that is making a difference in the cancer community and deserves recognition? Send your recommendations to Meagan Spalding at Meagan@cancer-companions.org for the chance to be featured in our next newsletter!