Carolyn Fredenburg was just 17 when she took her first summer job as a junior counsellor at the University Settlement Camp on Gull Lake near Gravenhurst.
“I saw then the difference the camping experience made to those inner-city kids,” Carolyn recalled recently when she wrote Moorelands to share her memories.
“At first, they complained because they could not go to the corner store in the evening for chips and pop and hang out,” Carolyn wrote, but “soon they loved the campfires and sing-songs, the skit nights, the games.
“At first they bickered a lot,” she added. “Quickly they learned to cooperate with their cabin mates for all these activities. When it was time to leave, it was hugs all around…”
But however important the camping experience, Moorelands is about much more than that, Carolyn noted, pointing out that “Moorelands’ other programs are also extremely important.
“In today’s society, with so many parents working multiple jobs to make ends meet, the After-School and Leadership Programs are vitally important in giving young people hope for their future,” she said in her note.
“As a society we lag so far behind the Scandinavian countries in the care we provide for our young children. Thank heaven for Moorlands! And the layettes and Christmas hampers are always welcomed by the fortunate recipients,” she wrote, referring to Moorelands’ Baby Bundles and Christmas programs.Raised during the Depression, Carolyn learned that, although she and her family were able to live “comfortably” – her father ran his own business – others were not so lucky.
“My parents always emphasized that we were very fortunate, and that as practising Christians we must share with those less fortunate,” Carolyn noted. “Every faith probably has this as a core teaching.”
Moorelands “is a great way to do this,” Carolyn noted, “which is why I chose to put Moorlands in my will. Leaving a bequest means that you want to help the wonderful work Moorelands is doing carry on after you are gone.”
It’s a “win-win” situation, she notes, referring to the considerable tax savings available for such gifts.
“So your estate wins, Moorelands wins and, most importantly, the kids win,” Carolyn said. “I love it! Of course, you would want to talk to your lawyer and accountat about all this. I did, because I thought it was too good to be true.”Got a Moorelands story to share? We’d love to hear it! To share your story, contact Helen – (416) 466-9987 ext. 312 or click the link below.