Camp Homeward Bound: A Summer Haven and Educational Retreat for NYC Youth in Southfields, NY

Introduction / Overview: A Camp That Restores Childhood

Camp Homeward Bound is a profoundly significant institution in the New York landscape, representing far more than a typical recreational campground. Founded in 1984 by the Coalition for the Homeless, it proudly stands as the nation's first summer sleep-away camp designed specifically for children from New York City homeless and domestic violence shelters. While physically located in the beautiful, rustic environment of Southfields, NY, its mission is firmly rooted in serving the most vulnerable children from the five boroughs.

Each summer, the camp holds three immersive, 16-day sessions, providing hundreds of boys and girls, typically aged 7 to 15, with a safe haven away from the stressors of shelter life. The program is carefully balanced, blending traditional, joyful camp activities with crucial educational and developmental components. It offers not only a much-needed break from the sweltering city heat and boredom of the shelter system but also a place where confidence, social skills, and learning are actively nurtured. As former campers and parents attest, the experience is transformative—a place where children can simply be kids, building lasting memories and gaining the emotional strength to face the challenges back home. The staff, known for being "loving, kind, fun, fair and firm," ensure that every child receives attentive care and mentorship.

Location and Accessibility: A Convenient Wilderness Sanctuary

Camp Homeward Bound is situated in the scenic area of Southfields, NY 10975, a location deep within the breathtaking Harriman State Park system. This placement in Orange County is intentional, providing campers with an authentic immersion into nature and a complete psychological distance from the urban setting. Harriman State Park, a sprawling natural preserve, offers the perfect backdrop of forests, trails, and water bodies, essential for the camp’s mission of therapeutic recreation.

Accessibility for Its Users: For its primary users—children from NYC shelters—the camp’s location is made seamlessly accessible by the Coalition for the Homeless. Campers and staff are transported to and from the city, effectively bridging the geographical gap between the urban centers and the wilderness retreat. This logistical bridge is vital, ensuring that the camp remains entirely free of charge and reachable for children whose families are receiving public assistance.

Local Context: For local New Yorkers involved in supporting the camp, the Southfields location offers easy vehicle access via major regional routes, including the New York State Thruway (I-87) and the Palisades Interstate Parkway. This makes it a convenient drive for local staff, volunteers, and donors who wish to contribute to the camp’s operation, maintenance, or intensive training week. The camp is set in a rustic area, providing a truly natural, distraction-free environment crucial for the success of its programs.

Services Offered (Youth Development and Respite)

The services at Camp Homeward Bound are holistic, focusing on the child’s social, educational, and emotional well-being within a secure, fun-filled setting.

Three 16-Day Sleep-Away Sessions: Annually, the camp offers three distinct summer sessions, ensuring hundreds of children receive a much-needed extended respite from shelter life.

Holistic Activity Programming: A wide range of activities are offered, including swimming lessons, traditional sports, archery, dance, yoga, music, art, and even culinary arts, promoting physical health and creative expression.

Educational Enrichment: The program actively works to combat summer learning loss by integrating lessons in reading, math, science, and nutrition into the daily schedule.

Outdoor and Nature Immersion: Activities are heavily focused on utilizing the Harriman State Park setting, including biking along nature trails, gardening (harvesting vegetables), and storytelling around campfires.

Leaders-in-Training Program: Older campers (up to age 15) can return in a Teen Leader capacity, serving as mentors and gaining valuable experience and responsibility, demonstrating the long-term impact of the program.

Full Care and Support: Campers receive 24-hour supervision and mentorship from a dedicated, international staff team, who share living quarters (platform tents nestled in the woods) with the children, fostering deep connections and continuous care.

Free Access: The entire camp experience, including food, activities, housing, and transportation, is provided completely free of charge to the campers, removing any financial barrier.

Features / Highlights (Confidence and Character Building)

The true standout features of Camp Homeward Bound are its mission and its impact, which are made possible by its location and facilities.

Nation’s First: The camp holds the historical distinction of being the first summer sleep-away camp in the United States established specifically for homeless children, underlining its pioneering role in social welfare.

High Staff-to-Camper Ratio: The staff, comprising college/university students and graduates from around the world, live with the campers in platform tents, ensuring close supervision and personalized mentorship that builds crucial confidence and self-worth.

Character Development Focus: Activities are specifically designed to be "character building," aimed at combating the trauma and social challenges faced by homeless youth, reinforcing positive traits like courage, fairness, and resilience.

The Biking Program: For many children who lack safe spaces for recreation in the city, learning to ride a bike at the camp is a major rite of passage, boosting self-esteem and providing a sense of freedom.

Rustic, Natural Setting: The use of platform tents and the wilderness environment of Harriman State Park ensures an authentic camping experience, allowing kids to "feel like you're in heaven," as one camper described it, away from the concrete and dangers of shelter life.

Contact Information

Camp Homeward Bound is an operating program of the Coalition for the Homeless. While the camp's physical location is in Southfields, NY, all official contact, inquiries regarding the program, donations, and staff applications are managed through the Coalition’s New York City headquarters.

P Camp Physical Location: Southfields, NY 10975, USA (The operating location in Harriman State Park)

Operating Organization Address: Coalition for the Homeless, 129 Fulton Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10038

General Information and Donations Phone: (212) 776-2000

Camp-Specific Inquiries Phone: (212) 776-2020 (Contact for Camp Director Beverly McEntarfer or related staff)

Conclusion: Why This Place is Suitable for Locals

Camp Homeward Bound is undeniably suitable for New York locals, not as a facility they can individually reserve, but as a critical

community-supported asset that reflects the best of New York’s commitment to its most vulnerable residents. It offers an essential service that directly addresses the devastating impact of homelessness on children.

For all New Yorkers, this camp provides a clear, actionable way to engage with and support a local non-profit that delivers a proven, high-impact youth development program. By donating, volunteering, or applying to be a summer staff member, local residents contribute directly to restoring childhood for the thousands of children living in NYC shelters. The customer reviews emphasize the deep, positive, and lasting impression the staff and the experience leave on the campers, many of whom gain the confidence to pursue ambitious dreams. In essence, supporting Camp Homeward Bound means investing in the future of New York's children, transforming a place in Southfields into a powerful beacon of hope and stability for the entire metropolitan area.