Of all the painful repercussions of addiction, there’s one that’s especially heartbreaking: children of an addicted parent almost always blame themselves. That was the case for Joey, whose dad left when he was 5. The guilt and confusion built up inside of Joey for years. When he was 8, his mom learned about Camp Mariposa.

Camp Mariposa is a free weekend camp for kids ages 9-12 who are impacted by the substance use disorder of someone close to them. It helps reduce isolation and guilt, educates campers about the disease of addiction (including their own risk) and teaches positive life skills. The camp helped Joey to stop blaming himself and to understand his dad’s addiction is an illness – one he didn’t choose.

Hundreds of kids from our community, kids just like Joey, have benefited from Camp Mariposa thanks to your support!